Kaleidoscopic (Rewrite)
by Irisviel101
Summary: They say that one person can change everything. What happens when someone actually takes the time to prepare Gan Gan Galaxy for their worldwide expedition? Featuring a more team-oriented Gan Gan Galaxy. I don't own Metal Fight Beyblade. Trigger warnings for future chapters.
1. Sowing the Seeds

**Chapter 1: Sowing the Seeds**

"I really don't see how this will work," Kotone said as she and Tsubasa walked towards the B-Pit.

"You don't, do you?" the senior agent replied in a "duh" tone.

It was the day after the team had been finalized and Tsubasa was already tired of his teammates. They were just too loud and brash and reckless and argumentative and obnoxious. Couldn't they at least try to stop shouting all the time? It was like working with a newbie Kotone all over again. Honestly, that alone would be a good enough reason to quit his job and—

Wait, what was he thinking about? Right, his teammates.

On their own, he could deal with them just fine — well, except maybe Masamune. He was still getting used to the new blader's exuberance.

"Well," the rookie agent said, breaking his train of thought, "I don't envy you for having to travel with them. They're so troublesome." Tsubasa didn't dignify that with a response. "By the way, not that I'm complaining, but how come you suddenly decided you need a vacation?"

As they rounded at the corner of the street, the shop came into sight. "Hades Inc. entered a team in the tournament, the American one. I'd rather not have a repeat of the Battle Bladers."

Hades Inc. had been in contact with the Dark Nebula and although it could mean nothing, Tsubasa would rather err on the side of caution.

Kotone sighed. "Figures you'd only take a break to do more work." She folded her arms behind her back. "Still, can't say you're wrong. Seriously, why did they keep the Battle Bladers going until the end? People were being thrown into a coma left and right."

Tsubasa's mind flashed back to his battle with Ryuuga. The sensation of having your life sucked out of you… It was torture. What was it like on the other side? He had seen the footage of Ryuuga being turned into a human-dragon hybrid. His stomach twisted with a mixture of nausea and pity.

Even before the shop's door opened, Tsubaa could hear shouting and sighed. His teammates were indeed, to quote Kotone, troublesome. She probably didn't hate Naruto as much as she let on for her to use that word almost like a catchphrase.

Masamune scoffed at something Yuu had just said. "Yeah, right! Aren't you forgetting that me and Tsubasa beat you? There's a reason you're the sub, you know."

There it was, the word that had become the bane of both Yuu and Tsubasa's existence. The taunt was getting idiosyncratic.

"Don't call me a sub! And there's no way I'd lose to you again!"

"Like I'd ever get beaten by a sad sack of potatoes like you!"

Sack of potatoes? Just what went on in Masamune's mind?

"Who're you calling a potato?! I'M NOT A STINKING POTATO!"

And of course, that was what Yuu cared about.

"Guys, calm down." Of course, neither listened. To his credit, at least Gingka tried. "Arguing like this won't solve anything."

Masamune swiveled to face Gingka, who was slouched on the couch, obviously fed up. "I don't want to hear it, especially from you. You bailed out on our battle in the Qualifiers!"

Immediately, Gingka stood up with a glare. So much for all the expectations Tsubasa had. "Hey! I had no idea Dad had already entered me, okay! Quit whining about it already!"

"Don't ignore me!" Yuu shouted at both.

And so, their shouting match became three-way, the uncivilized swines. Tsubasa rubbed his temple with a sigh. Why did he decide to come here again? Right, Kotone had practically begged him to. Between her and Yuu's puppy dog eyes, Tsubasa would surely lose all his reputation and resistance. Well, that and someone had taken his wallet. Tsubasa was sure it had been one of them.

"Yup," the younger redhead next to him said, watching the spectacle with a surprising calm Tsubasa hadn't expected from his junior. "Not going to work."

Before Tsubasa could reply, the door that led to Madoka's workshop slammed open, cutting through the argument with practiced ease. Madoka marched out with a livid expression and the arguing trip went from silent to terrified.

Madoka didn't hold a candle to Tsubasa's academy instructor.

"CUT IT OUT ALREADY!"

She was still scary in her own right though.

Next to him, Kotone rubbed her ear with one eye closed, as if in physical pain. "Wow, she sure can yell."

He spared her a side-glance. "And this is coming from you?"

As Madoka lectured the three and they presented their alibis, Kotone sighed and muttered, "I'm so done with this."

She marched forward and began to push the arguing trio to the workshop, ignoring their startled yelps. "If you go out in the world like this, it'll reflect badly on Japan as a whole. Let's just say I won't let you tarnish the reputation of our beloved country."

Tsubasa couldn't help but snort. Euphemism at its best.

After dumping the three in, Kotone ran back and grabbed Tsubasa's arm and Madoka's hand, dragging them towards the door.

"What?" Tsubasa asked. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"You joined the team. I'm just helping you get used to all the headaches you're going to get in the future."

That said, Kotone dumped them in too and slammed the door shut before locking it, ignoring their protests. Inside, Tsubasa could hear the sound of wood scraping the marble floor.

"Is that… Is that my table?" Madoka asked.

"Yup!" came the chirpy response from outside. "Now picking the lock won't be of much use, Tsubasa!" That was followed by footsteps which were nearly drowned out by the combined yells of all four of his teammates.

Tsubasa was going to kill the redheaded brat.

o-o-o-o

A while and a killer headache later, Tsubasa remedied his statement. He was going to torture and then kill the redheaded brat. Masamune kept banging at the door and Yuu kept whining throughout the past hour and a half, with Gingka and Madoka snapping at them to pipe down. The brunette had tried to work but the combined annoyance of Yuu, Masamune and, for a while, even Gingka, made it impossible.

"Ugh, I'm so bored, I could scream! AHHHHHHHH!"

"Gingka, I really hate your cousin right now," Madoka said.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Gingka winced, putting a hand on his ear. "Me too."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"SHUT UP, MASAMUNE!" Even Tsubasa yelled along with the others.

"But I'm bored! BORED TO THE POWER N!"

"Alright, alright!" Madoka said. "We'll play something like Truth and Dare, okay? Just stop yelling."

Yuu folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. "Boring!"

"Well, we can't exactly beyblade in here!" Madoka snapped.

Gingka hummed and Tsubasa turned to him. The redhead had his eyes closed and was sprawled over the floor, staring at the ceiling. "You know, this kind of reminds me of the punishments Dad would give us back in Koma."

Tsubasa raised an eyebrow. "By "us", you mean…?"

"Ryuuga, me and Kotone."

Yuu leaned forward suddenly, eyes wide and glistening. "You mean Ryo-yo punished Ryuuga?"

It had gotten Masamune's attention too. "The same Ryuuga from the Battle Bladers? The one who was turned into a human-dragon hybrid? And your Dad locked him in a room?" He paused for a second. "Wait, that means you knew him as a kid!"

Gingka turned to him, looking as though a sudden thought hit him. "Oh, yeah. We grew up in the same village. It's kind of easy to forget you don't know a lot about us, you know."

Masamune scratched his cheek. "So, you grew up together. In the battle I saw, it kind of seemed like you were mortal enemies or something." He gasped exaggeratedly and Tsubasa rolled his eyes. Even Kotone could act better. "Is he your arch nemesis?" His tone was hushed, as if it was a secret.

Gingka gave him a confused look. "What? No. He…" The redhead thought for a moment, looking for the right words to articulate their unique condition. "He kind of killed my father. I was still angry about that."

Masamune blinked. "But… Your father's alive."

"So he is," Yuu replied. He was enjoying Masamune's confusion, if the giddy expression on his face was any indication. Tsubasa couldn't blame him. He loved the whole "I know something you don't" shtick too.

"How's he alive if Ryuuga killed him?" Gingka made to reply but Masamune cut him off by snapping his fingers. "I got it! You're adopted!"

"Wha— no! How did you even…?" Gingka shook his head. "He didn't actually die, he—"

Masamune cut him off once again. "Then why'd you say he was killed? Are you trying to make a fool out of me?"

Yuu rolled his eyes. "We don't need to try something for that."

Tsubasa sighed. Just when things were becoming quiet.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

Gingka cleared his throat, stopping the argument. "Masamune, he wasn't killed, he was just gravely injured. And I said "killed" because I thought he was killed."

"Oh."

"Anyways," Gingka said, "I was saying that we used to play a game when we were punished like this. Basically, we all get to ask a selected person one question each and they have to answer truthfully."

Yuu crossed his arms. "And what if we don't want to?"

"It becomes really boring when you don't. Besides, most of the time, you kind of forget to lie when you get into it."

Masamune shrugged. "Okay, I'll start. I have nothing to hide."

They all shared a look. "Okay, then," Gingka said. "How come you weren't in the Battle Bladers if you want to be Number One so much?"

"I was in America. I grew up there with my aunt."

His aunt, not his parents. Tsubasa filed that information away for later.

"My turn." Yuu leaned forward with a wicked grin, making Masamune gulp. That look meant nothing good. Tsubasa knew it from experience.

"Chocolate ice cream, or vanilla?"

Tsubasa smacked his face. Seriously? He really should have seen it coming.

Masamune's tense shoulders relaxed and he replied, "Chocolate's life."

"What's the deal with the whole Number One thing?" Madoka asked.

Masamune shifted, Tsubasa noted. "Long story short, I kind of promised a friend I'd become the best and I'm gonna be soon. You see, Toby had to give up beyblading because he suddenly became sick, and since he can't be Number One, I'm gonna be for the both of us."

Madoka hummed. "Must be a pretty good friend for you to travel all the way to Japan."

Masamune grinned. "Yeah. Toby and Zeo are the best." His nostalgic tone matched the look in his eyes.

"Looks like it's my turn," Tsubasa said. "Were you the one who stole my wallet yesterday?"

Masamune blinked and mutely shook his head. Tsubasa scrutinized him for a moment. He seemed sincere enough. Besides, Masamune couldn't like or hide things that well.

Tsubasa turned to the rest. "Alright, which was it?"

Yuu shifted and Tsubasa fixed his eyes on the kid. "Uh… Sorry?"

Tsubasa studied him for a moment and Yuu shifted some more. Let him be uncomfortable for a while, some part of his mind spoke. Finally, Tsubasa decided You had had enough and spoke, "I'll deal with you later."

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Madoka said. "Who's next?"

Discomfort forgotten, Yuu spoke up, "Me. Me, me, me!"

"Yuu, where are your parents?" Yuu froze at Madoka's inquiry. Tsubasa couldn't deny that he was curious. Yuu had never mentioned anything about them.

Yuu seemed to have shut down for a while but then, in a low and serious voice totally uncharacteristic of him, he said, "I don't know. No one's ever told me about them and I never met them."

Tsubasa… hadn't known that. He made a mental note to check the WBBA records later. There was bound to be something there.

"My turn to ask," Masamune said. "Chocolate or ice cream?"

Yuu shrugged and grinned, although there was still an undertone of sadness in his eyes. "I'm allergic to chocolate so ice cream."

"How come Libra doesn't have a constellation?" Tsubasa asked. It was something that he had wondered about before but hadn't asked about it.

Yuu shrugged. "No idea. It just doesn't."

The questions soon turned to embarrassing memories and as Tsubasa laughed along with the rest of his team, he forgot that he was annoyed with them. Suddenly, their loudness and uncivilized nature didn't matter anymore. Before Tsubasa knew it, it felt like they were one and the same, a true team.

o-o-o-o

Just as Madoka finished reciting the story of Chi Yun's challenge, Yuu burst out laughing and Tsubasa shook his head, unable to help the fond smile that formed on his face. "Seriously, you guys are truly unbelievable."

"You thought… it… was an invitation?" Yuu managed to gasp out between his hysterics.

Gingka rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, not our best moment."

Masamune crossed his arms. "You would've done the same." His tone lacked any real bite, Tsubasa noted. It was just friendly teasing now.

Between all that, no one else seemed to have noticed that Kotone had long since opened the door and was leaning against the doorframe while watching them, bemused. She cleared her throat and they all turned to her. "So, it worked, didn't it? Looks like I saved Japan's reputation."

"Ah, man, I'm sore," Masamune said as he stretched after getting up.

"Yeah, me too," Gingka said, mirroring his actions.

Tsubasa himself wasn't really affected. Certain missions required you to sit still for hours, so it wasn't anything new to him.

"By the way," Kotone said. "Madoka, I used one of your equipment on Wolf. Sorry, not sorry."

With that said, Kotone ran off and an angry Madoka chased after her, yelling at the same time. As usual. After complaining and punishing them for fighting, it would be just like Kotone to start a fight. Tsubasa had long since gotten used to her hypocritical nature.

Masamune watched the spot where Kotone had been, blinked with bemusement. "Is this normal?"

"You have no idea," the rest replied.

o-o-o-o

**A/N: Guess who decided to rewrite a story after being halfway done? This genius -_- Sorry for disappearing for so long without a word. You see, during that time, I started my academy — which, for those who don't know, is evening school — with my usual morning school and it let up at eight o'clock. Along with that, I had a huge writer's block and just didn't feel like writing anything. Then, my never ending exams started which ended on 6th of May.**

**So... Yeah, updating wasn't my top priority.**

**That said, during that time, my writing style changed a lot and the old draft I had written for chapter 24 — along with the rest of the story — made my head spin. I must say, for a while I considered discontinuing Kaleidoscopic but the 143 reviews on the old story made me think again — by the way, thanks for sticking with me for so long.**

**I need to explain a few things here that are not in accordance with the canon — did anyone notice?**

**1) The other teams were formed long before Gan Gan Galaxy, but I find it hard to believe that they were formed only hours before they had to leave for China, especially considering that Ryo and Hikaru are two of the executives for the tournament.**

**So, for the sake of what I believe is realism, formed the team a week before they had to leave for China so they could get used to each other a bit. Honestly, they were lucky in the canon that they were all friends. Imagine if someone like Reiji or Ryuga had won. Which gives me an idea, Reiji on the same team as the ten years old he terrified.**

**2) Kotone. Those who remember the old version, would most likely remember Kanade, the ten years old agent. I've changes her name and age so now, she's Kotone Kisaragi, WBBA's thirteen years old special agent and Gingka's cousin.**

**3) This reminds me, I'll be changing the ages a bit.**

**Gingka, Madoka and Masamune — 15**

**Kotone — 13 (Mostly because I got a few reviews about a ship between Kotone and Masamune, but the age gap in the original made me a bit uncomfortable.)**

**Yuu — 7**

**Tsubasa — 17**

**5) I've decided to make a few spin-offs for the Kaleidoscopic series to explore things from different perspectives. The one I'm currently going to work on will be about Tsubasa's assignment in the Dark Nebula fiasco. Maybe one from Yuu's point of view in Fusion or one about Masamune's past...**

**6) I don't own the cover image. A friend on Wattpad made it for me :)**

**Anyways, that's all for now. See you guys in the next chapter —_ I hope._**


	2. Homecoming

**Chapter 2: Homecoming**

o-o-o-o

Small patches of light broke through the branches as birds chirped in the forest around them and Gingka couldn't help smile as he recalled the days of his childhood when that would be his and his friends' only refuge from the blazing sun in summers. The heat wasn't nearly as unbearable as it had seemed back then though and Gingka soon stepped out into the sunlight.

"Are we there yet?" one of the voices behind him questioned from the umpteenth time.

The redhead's fists clenched as a scowl formed on his face. Honestly, even Yuu had stopped complaining by that time. If he didn't answer, would Masamune finally pipe down? Unlikely. He was liable to start screaming soon, so Gingka deigned to reply with the iconic, "It's just a little further."

He was really started to admire Hyoma's patience.

Barely a minute of silence passed before Masamune spoke up again, "Are we there yet?"

Something in Gingka finally snapped and the redhead turned to glare at the other teen. "We'll get there _when we get there_," he snapped before setting his sights in front of him again. What he wouldn't give to punch Masamune in the face. And Kotone too, for suggesting this trip in the first place.

Sadly, their mechanic was a peace activist and he didn't need to give an already agitated Madoka any reason to take her frustration out on him.

Gingka could hear Masamune grumble behind him. "You don't have to yell. No wonder your hair's red, you hothead."

Gingka gritted his teeth to avoid showing Masamune exactly what yelling _really_ was and instead kept his ears open for a specific sound. It should have been around that spot, right? Or had he really been away for so long that he forgot his own—?

"Hey, what's that?" Yuu asked, speaking up for the first time since he started sulking half an hour ago.

The group turned to him and Gingka was expecting him to be either holding or pointing at something but the kid was staring ahead, eyes brimming with curiosity.

"What's what?" Masamune asked.

"Huh? You don't hear that?" Yuu turned to the unicorn blader, looking genuinely surprised. "It sounds like running water."

"A waterfall," Tsubasa said, making Gingka jump. From his peripheral vision, he could see the rest flinching as well. Tsubasa had been so quite the whole trip that they'd forgotten he was there at all.

Gingka smiled in victory. "We're getting close!" He ran ahead, ignoring the shouts and calls behind him as footsteps followed him. His earlier concerns appeared to be pointless. No way he'd forget the place he'd grown up in.

He slowed to a stop when the waterfall and river came into view. Gingka could hear the rest panting behind him and couldn't help but laugh. Honestly, he forgot sometimes just how much he could walk for hours.

"Now are we there?" Gingka grinned at how hopeful his friend sounded but he was beaten to the reply.

"_Shut up_, Masamune!" an irate pretty much everyone snapped in unison and Masamune shrunk under the heat of their glares.

Gingka laughed, his spoiled mood fading out of existence. "Almost." He turned to some thick and thorny bushes and pushed them aside, uncovering the tunnel behind them. As he had predicted, it was big enough to fit in all of them.

"What's that?" Masamune asked at the same time Yuu said, "More walking?"

"Only a little," the redhead replied to the latter before turning to Masamune. "Koma Village has several secret shortcuts and entrances. This happens to be one of them. By the way, does anyone have a flashlight?"

They entered when Madoka handed him one and Gingka hid the entrance again. As they began their journey, Yuu asked, "How many secret passageways _are_ there, anyways?"

Gingka paused for a second to contemplate it as everyone stared at him, waiting for an answer. "Around two hundred the last time I was here." He laughed at the gobsmacked expressions and continued. The movement broke everyone out of the reverie and they scurried closer, not wanting to be separated.

Gingka hadn't realized just how much fun he could have on the trip. He would have to thank his cousin later. After punching her, of course.

o-o-o-o

They all soon discovered that Hokuto did _not_ like surprise visitors, even Gingka's friends. Scratch that, _especially_ Gingka's friends. Personally, Gingka thought Hokuto was no different from his aunt when it came to holding grudges. So what if Gingka had once brought a bear and a pack of hungry wolves to the village. He had been _five_! And really, Hyoma's wild boars had done more damage. And no one could beat Ryuga's "Animal Scramble" incident even if they brought the _whole _forest.

Thankfully though, Hyoma _did_ like unexpected visitors, especially when he could mess with them with his various personas. That must have been part of the reason why he stopped Hokuto's rant about bringing strangers — aka Masamune — to a secret village. "Kotone called in advance. She said we can trust him."

Hokuto set his glare on Hyoma but the teen wasn't fazed at all. After all, they had practically grown up receiving that look. "Fine, whatever."

Gingka turned to Masamune, who had yet to speak since Hokuto started yelling. The other teen's brown eyes were wide while he stared at the guardian dog as though he was from outer space. "The dog talks."

Gingka grinned. "I know."

Masamune turned to him, eyes still wide. "The dog _talks_. The _dog_."

Gingka chuckled. He could've sworn he saw a vein pop out on Hokuto's forehead. "I know."

But Masamune wasn't listening. "You have a _talking_ pet dog. This is..."

"I'm _not_ a dog!" Hokuto snapped, though he was unheard which only fuelled his ire.

Meanwhile, Hyoma peered at Masamune before turning to Gingka and Hokuto. "I think we broke him," he said, his voice laced with more than a little amusement.

"This is..." Masamune finally moved, running a hand through his hair as a grin slowly made its way to his face. "This is _awesome_!"

Gingka blinked. He had expected "freaky" or "crazy" or even "impossible". That was how others always acted. Then again, he had never met anyone quite like Masamune.

"HEY!" They turned to the outskirts of the village, from where the other three were running towards them. "You guys left us behind!" Yuu shouted, his expression sour as he slowed to a stop nearby. He then seemed to have spotted Hokuto because his eyes lit up like fireflies at night. "Hey, it's that dog again!" he exclaimed, reaching out to pet him. "Who's a good boy?" he said in an exaggerated childish voice, not that he needed to imitate one in the first place.

Gingka would have laughed, had he not been so surprised. Instead, he blinked. "You've seen him before?"

Yuu didn't look up from Hokuto, who seemed to be enjoying the sensation more than he would admit. "Uh huh. We met the last time I came here. Does he belong to some—?"

But Gingka wasn't listening. His eyes had gone wide, his body tense. From his peripheral vision, he could see Hyoma in the same position. If Yuu had been to the village before, then there had to be a hole in the security. Had anyone else slipped in unnoticed? "Y—You've been here before?"

Yuu turned to Gingka, giving him his undivided attention. "Well, yeah. Didn't I tell you? Doji brought me here on a plane. Then again, he went _everywhere_ with a plane. I think he even did groceries in a plane."

Gingka was sure his heart had stopped beating. "D—_Doji_ was here? _Again_?" He turned to see if Hyoma knew anything about it but his best friend looked just as alarmed, if not more.

Yuu blinked. "Again?"

"It is nothing to worry about," Hokuto said, making Yuu jump. "He didn't find anything in his search and left the village without much damage."

Gingka let out a sigh of relief as Yuu stared at Hokuto, eyes going wide and filling with a multitude of things — shock, excitement, curiosity and wonder to name a few.

"You talk! That's _so_ neat! How come you didn't speak to me the last time? Do you have a voice box or something, or are your vocal chords like a human's? Can you do tricks? Do you play fetch? Why do dogs like bones so much? Why do they hate cats? Can't you be friends? Do you eat dog food or...?"

Breathing? Too overrated for Yuu Tendo apparently. Gingka watched as he bombarded Hokuto with questions without giving the poor guy time to answer.

"I forgot how excitable he is," Hyoma said to Gingka. He winced, rubbing one of his ears. "And loud." Gingka gave him a look he hoped said, _See what I have to deal with everyday?_ Hyoma smiled sympathetically, wincing when Masamune joined the interrogation. "No wonder you were always so irritable on the phone."

Gingka rolled his eyes. "And you thought I was exaggerating."

Heaving a sigh, Tsubasa crashed the interrogation. "Guys, quiet down and give the guy some space."

Yuu merely stuck out his tongue at him before he started petting Hokuto again. Gingka laughed at the look on the dog's face, which was a blend of affronted and content. Meanwhile, Tsubasa rolled his eyes as Madoka joined Yuu as well.

Seemed like he could have some fun with Hokuto as well.

o-o-o-o

"Hey, where are you taking us?" Masamune questioned as they all trekked through the forest.

Gingka gave him a smile. "You'll see when we get there." He laughed at the put out look on his friend's face at not getting any answers. "Don't give me that look." Masamune just scowled at him.

They walked in silence for a moment until Hyoma spoke up again. "I forgot to tell you something. Hokuto fixed the Green Hades after we destroyed it in our battle."

Gingka stopped walking for a while, his mind flashing to the completely shattered stadium. "No way."

"Way."

"How?"

Hyoma shrugged. "No idea. He says it's a guardian secret or something like that."

Being Koma's guardian — some supernatural thing Gingka didn't really get — Hokuto had tons of those secrets. He never even let anyone near him when he was using some technique like that, so no one in Koma knew what those secrets actually were.

"We should stop there too," the redhead decided.

"Sure," Hyoma said, pushing aside a really low branch. "But first..."

The rushing sound of running water reached his ears before the stream camwaye into view. Several stones stood in the way though, interrupting the water's momentum.

Yuu ran to the stream. "What're we doing _here_?"

"Here, let me show you something," Hyoma said, taking launch position with his bey pointed at the stones in the river. He launched and Aries bounced from rock to rock all the way to the other side

Yuu leaned forward, eyes wide and sparkling with excitement. "Awesome! You predicted the angle at which Aries would rebound." He then took out his own launcher. "Let it rip!"

Libra followed the path Aries showed to perfection and was soon spinning on the other side. To be honest, Gingka wasn't really surprised Yuu could do it after seeing it only once. Kyoya had too and Yuu hadn't been Dark Nebula's Number Two for nothing.

"My turn," Masamune said, standing next to the small genius.

As he took launch position, Hyoma warned, "Be careful or you'll have to go for a swim."

"Yeah, yeah," Masamune said. Even though Masamune was facing away, Gingka could see him rolling his eyes. "If Yuu can do it, so can I. I'm the Number One Blader and he's just a sub." Yuu glared but before he could get a word out, Masamune moved on. "Let it rip!"

Striker rebounded from he first few stones perfectly, but in the middle of the river, it sunk like a stone. Masamune gaped, dumbfounded, as Yuu burst out laughing.

"What was that you were saying? Some Number One Blader," Yuu said, watching with gleeful eyes as Masamune fished out his bey.

"Let it rip!" All eyes followed Eagle, who seemed to be doing okay at first but soon joined Striker in the river. Tsubasa gritted his teeth as his pet eagle dropped the wet bey in his outstretched hand.

o-o-o-o

It was evening by the time they had seen all the spots and tried put all the games Gingka and Hyoma used to play as kids. By the end of the tour, the gang found themselves at the Green Hades.

Yuu and Masamune immediately ran forward to check the stadium out. "It's so shiny and smooth," Masamune noted.

Yuu ran a hand over it and drew in a breath. "No way! Is that moldavite?! How do your beys even attack on this?"

Masamune scratched his cheek with a finger, confused. "What's moldavite?"

Soon after Madoka explained geology to Masamune, Gingka and Hyoma faced each other from opposite sides of the stadium while the rest stood on the sidelines, waiting in anticipation. Gingka smirked, ready to launch. "I've been waiting for a rematch here with Galaxy Pegasus."

Hyoma mirrored his actions. "Let's see if you two can beat us."

"Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"

Galaxy Pegasus was an attack type and therefore, at a disadvantage in the Green Hades. Hyoma had the upper hand in that matter and that wouldn't change unless he made it to the flat center before Aries.

"Go now, Pegasus!"

Pegasus raced downward but its course was interrupted when Aries rammed into it from nowhere, sending it flying close to the edge. Gingka gaped. Since when did Hyoma take the first move?

"I can't battle without attacking, you know," Hyoma said. "Aries!"

With no one to attack it like that, Aries soon reached the center of the stadium. But Gingka had been fully prepared for that. After all, it happened every time they battled.

"Pegasus!"

Pegasus raced around the stadium, gaining more and more speed until it was nothing but a blue blur, not unlike Sonic the Hedgehog from that game Yuu and Kenta liked to play.

"Gingka!" Madoka's alarmed voice cut in. "If you gain any more speed, Pegasus will go out of control and have a stadium out!"

But Pegasus had already switched the course, right towards Aries. From his peripheral vision, Gingka could see Yuu smack his palm with his fist. "Oh, I get! Gingky's using the momentum to increase Pegasus's attack power."

Gingka turned his attention to Hyoma, only to falter at his smirk. Did he have some sort of a plan?

"I can't believe you forgot about Aries's Spin Track." Gingka's eyes widened as the situation truly sunk in but it was too late to call Pegasus back. "Aries! Wind Storm Assault!"

The attack connected but the attack was the bey was redirected to a side, like a bull would be against a bull fighter. Pegasus shot past Aries and straight to the edge of the stadium. "No way!" Gingka shouted as Pegasus reached the edge.

The blue bey raced into the air and a new plan hit Gingka. The redhead grinned. There was no way Hyoma could defend from that. "Pegasus! Star Booster Attack!"

Pegasus galloped downwards once it reached the highest point of its ascent, charging straight at Aries.

Masamune let out a cheer. "There's no way he can dodge that!"

But Hyoma's smirk remained intact. Hell, it even widened! "Just what I was waiting for." What?! "Aries! Horn Throw Destruction!"

Aries lowered and hit what could be accurately described as a blue meteor and Gingka could see a ram jumping and slamming its horns into the descending pegasus. The sound of metal hitting the ground reached Gingka's ears before it sunk in.

Pegasus was out of the stadium, perfectly still as Aries returned into Hyoma's outstretched hand. "I...lost?" He honestly hadn't expected that, not in this way anyways.

"It was a good battle though," Hyoma said in the same way he would to comfort him whenever he would lose as children.

Gingka shook his head and turned to him with a grin. "That was amazing! Aries's special move was way stronger than before!"

Hyoma chuckled. "Of course. I've been practicing."

Meanwhile, Masamune and Yuu ran to the stadium with a simultaneous shout of, "My turn!"

Hyoma gave them a placating smile. "We have to get back before it gets dark. Maybe tomorrow."

"Aw man..."

"Besides," Hyoma continued. "You're here for training, so you'll get to battle a lot."

And then, Gingka remembered the real reason for their stay. The Koma Boot Camp, as Kotone had named it, was supposed to prepare them for the upcoming World Championships. Gingka just hoped it wasn't anything like the way Kotone trained with other agents from the WBBA. Then again, Kotone was a thirteen year old sadist.

He made a mental note to give her more than just a punch.

o-o-o-o

**If anyone's confused, Masamune never really entered Koma Village. Even when he found Gingka for the first time with Galaxy Pegasus, it was in the mountains, not in the village. So, I believe Hokuto's reaction was reasonable. The reason he hasn't reacted like that to Yuu and Tsubasa is because Gingka and Hyoma informed him of the events of the Battle Bladers, so Hokuto knows that they're good.****Now, onto the reviews:**

**resplandorrosa626: **Thanks. I hope you overcome your writer's block too.

**Guest: **Well, talk about lucky! I'm glad you like Kaleidoscopic so much and I hope I can do the previous version justice. Thanks.

**E.K:** Thanks! Personally, I see it as adding a few headcanons than changing the characters. Tsubasa being half Canadian is actually half canon, I suggest you read A Summer of Festivities for more explanation. It's okay, I don't mind different opinions and I encourage you to comment your thoughts more. I like seeing what others think. Thanks again.

**Guest: **I'm glad you like it, thanks.

**Guest:** Well, that makes sense. Personally, I believe Fury takes place at most six months after Masters because in the first episode, Madoka is still fixing Pegasus. I doubt it could take her a year to fix it, no matter how much the damage is. Then again, the characters _have_ changed a lot, but I think that's only in appearance in the start. So that way, if Yuu is eight in Fusion, he'd be nine in Masters and ten in Fury depending on the months since Yuu's birthday was never really revealed. But I might change Yuu's age to nine in Kaleidoscopic, so thanks.


	3. The Koma Boot Camp

**Chapter**** 3: The Koma Boot Camp**

0-0-0-0-0-0

No one could do much of anything when you had promised Yuu and Masamune a battle. It was a lesson well learned the morning after the team arrived in Koma. Hell, they couldn't even finish breakfast in peace before the two started rushing everyone to the Monster Stump Stadium.

The battle concluded and Yuu pumped up his fist in victory. "Alright!" On the other end of the stadium, Masamune stared at the fallen Striker, mouth open slightly. Yuu smirked at him. "What was that you were saying about beating me?"

Masamune gritted his teeth and glared at the kid, but Yuu had already moved on. He turned to Madoka and asked, "Hey, since I beat Masamune, does this mean I can take his position as a regular now?"

Madoka blinked and Gingka mirrored her action. Yuu hadn't mentioned anything like that before the battle, so it wouldn't really be fair. He opened his mouth to tell him that when Masamune shouted, "What?!" In a matter of seconds, the green-clad blader was leaning in Yuu's face, eyes blazing with anger. "You can't just bring something like that in so suddenly! And besides, what about the times _I_ beat you?"

Yuu raised an eyebrow. "Time_s_? Excuse me, we've only had a proper battle once before. The one where you rudely interrupted my match with Tsubasa doesn't count."

"Striker was still spinning when it ended so that means I win!"

"It doesn't work _that_ way! Libra was spinning too, you know."

"Only because you're lucky I was looking for Ginger over there—"

Gingka gritted his teeth as he felt annoyance seep inside him. "Hey, who're you calling_ "Ginger"_?" he cut in.

"—or I would've wiped the floor with you," Masamune continued, not paying any attention to him.

"Like you were doing this time," Yuu questioned not-so-innocently, tilting his head for good measure, though the small smirk on his face gave him away.

Gingka could feel his annoyance grow and couldn't help the small growl that escaped his throat. "Hey! I'm talking here!"

The other two ignored him, however, in favor of arguing with each other. Something in Gingka broke and he was about to cuff the two on the head for being so annoying, but Hyoma cut in before he could say or do anything.

"Guys, cut it out." They kept glaring at each other with a heat tantamount to lava and Hyoma sighed. "You can battle again after training," he offered.

Even from afar, Gingka could see their ears prick at the word "training" but they kept the stare for a little longer before they both turned their heads away at the same time with identical huffs. Gingka could almost see a young him and Ryuga in the scene as Hyoma and Ryuto tried to calm them down.

Hyoma smiled and clapped his hands. Gingka blinked, startled out of the flashback. "Now, follow me."

Gingka watched after him curiously as Hyoma turned to the forest, in a direction away from the village. "Where are you taking us?"

Madoka was the one to reply. "Kotone and I came up with a training plan for the next nine days. It focuses on both your individual and collective statistics."

Gingka gave her a look. "Collective statistics?" He'd heard of individual statistics, of course, but this was a bit new to him. "Is that a compilation or something?"

"Something like that. We based it off your personalities, interactions and stuff like that. So, along with a compilation, it also has your team work abilities, compatibility, experiences and possible combinations. You follow?"

Gingka blinked in surprise, before a small smile made its way to his face. "Huh, you guys sure are working hard."

0-0-0-0-0-0

They had ventured so deep in the mountains that Gingka had become certain that Hyoma had no good intentions. His best friend, meanwhile, kept walking with the same complacent smile tat had once driven him and Ryuga up the wall when they were children.

"How far _is_ this place?" Masamune asked.

Hyoma turned to him with a seemingly nice smile but Gingka had been around him for too long to be fooled so easily. The redhead could easily imagine devil horns on his head as he said, "It's just a little further."

Yuu and Masamune groaned and Gingka had to cover his mouth to stifle his laugh. "Can you guys stop saying that already?"

Gingka's laughter only doubled at Yuu's complain and he was sure he saw Hyoma bite the insides of his cheeks as he turned. "We won't get anywhere by complaining."

Even though he was in between Yuu and Masamune — to make sure they would stop fighting — Tsubasa barely seemed bothered by their grumblings. Instead, the silver-haired teen turned to Madoka and asked, "What will we be doing, anyways?"

"For the first four days, you guys will be working on your basics. Speed, stamina, strength, defense, balance and all those. The next four days will be team battle practice and after that, a day for rest before we leave."

Gingka grinned, pumping his fist. "Looks like everyone will be getting busy. Interesting."

0-0-0-0-0-0

The walk slowly morphed into a hike as they reached some elevation. The increase in height led to an increase in the complaints as even Gingka joined in. They were supposed to train, not go on some picnic. And Madoka had taken their beys under the guise of checking them for damage and was not returning them.

Suddenly, Hyoma halted and the others copied without a single thought, everyone except Gingka and Tsubasa panting. The Aries blader grinned. "Well, time to start training."

Yuu straightened from his lean on his knees and looked around. "Here?"

Gingka himself was staring at his surroundings. What could they do in the mountains that would be so efficient? All he saw was trees and a few small boulders. Sure, the kids in the village could come up with a lot of fun training techniques in the forest, but it wasn't any of the places Gingka remembered training at. Maybe they had come up with a new game while he was away.

"Before we start training with your bey, you'll need to improve your own conditions," Madoka said. "A blader's physical health affects the bey as well."

Yuu gave her a look. "Didn't that weird dancer guy with the Virgo have an accident or something?"

No one had to ask who the "dancer guy" was to understand who he was talking about. Madoka nodded to him. "Yes, but I think Teru had Virgo before that. And besides, he could have been much stronger if he hadn't had the accident."

Gingka tried to make sense of it. He knew that a blader and a bey were connected in many ways, some of which couldn't be put in words. Looking back though, he remembered various times when, during a beybattle, he was physically exhausted as well. But that was because Pegasus was drawing energy from him, wasn't it?

Okay, forget that example. Hadn't Kenta mentioned physical training when Benkei prepared him to beat Hikaru? Perhaps Kenta was able to defeat her not just because Sagittario was stronger but because Kenta himself was stronger. And come to think of it, Kyoya had trained himself in Wolf Canyon to defeat Gingka. Was that why some people did physical training when training for a battle?

"So, what do we do?" he asked.

"Well," Hyoma began, "you'll have to climb down this mountain."

Gingka slumped and from the corners of his eyes, he saw Masamune and Yuu do the same. "After we climbed all this way?" Masamune whined.

A smile formed on Hyoma's face, one which Gingka knew really well. Surprisingly, Ryuga wasn't the most sadistic of the four childhood friends, when not possessed by L-Drago at least. That spot went to Hyoma, who had really crafty ways to keep away developers and people who would tear down the forest. That smile was nothing good.

His suspicions were confirmed when Hyoma said, "If you want motivation, I could help with that."

Gingka's eyes widened as Hyoma whistled. Four looks of horror were thrown in the Aries blader's way as several green snakes slithered next to him, staring at the other bladers and hissing.

Madoka yelped and took a few steps back. "Hyoma, don't you think you're taking this a bit too far?"

"Nope." He turned to face his victi— ahem, friends. "Still not gonna do it?"

They didn't need anyone to tell them twice. The four ran down the hill as the snakes followed, hissing and snapping at them. Needless to say, the bladers of Gan Gan Galaxy was able to complete their laps with much, much more ardor than usual.

0-0-0-0-0

Two days later, Madoka finally discharged their beys and allowed the four to use them. And thus, the second phase of the Koma Boot Camp's separate training commenced. Over the course of the next two days, the team engaged in several training activities they wouldn't have imagined before.

For two days, they stated their mornings hours before sunrise — which elicited loud complaints from the two most immature members of the team — and had to do Bey Passing drills while balancing themselves on uneven boulders to train their balance, with weights on their hands to increase their launch strength. Then, they would drive their beys up serrated cliffs to build stamina. Gingka wasn't sure how that helped, but Madoka said that spinning while fighting gravity would help build up resistance.

By the time they finished that, Sun would be half visible in the horizon. Getting up early wasn't fun, but at least they got to take a break for a few minutes as Hyoma tried to pull a mesmerised Madoka away from the scenery.

After that short break, the four had to smash boulders — "We haven't even had breakfast," Masamune had complained the first time. Madoka had given him a look in response. "It was only a bunch of fruits!" — for strength, slice falling leaves from really far — the distance increased every half an hour — for accuracy all before eleven so they could head back for a lunch and a break.

By two, they would resume training. It started with using rocks, boulders and trees as an obstacle course for speed and agility while Madoka timed their runs after which they had to use Crossing for precision in their launch and attacks and finally, they had to keep their beys spinning on a really small footing in the middle of the river for focus. Of course, Hyoma soon had them switch the footing for the edge of a pointed rock.

The day would end three in the morning to six in the evening, after which the five — Hyoma wouldn't engage in the training but wouldn't back away from the battle, the sly _jerk_ — would have a battle royale to practice applying their training.

Needless to say, the four were tired as hell by the end of it. The training _did_ come with a prize though, in the shape of a barbeque from Madoka and Hyoma with the best performer in the training getting the most food. It was a good motivation for them to work hard.

Before turning in for the night, Madoka would replay some of their past battles saved in her laptop and ask them to spot their mistakes and weaknesses. They had had a campfire near the village one night too.

"Man, this boot camp is tough," Yuu said as they all gathered around the fire Tsubasa had made.

"But it sure is paying off," Gingka commented, holding his hands up near the fire to keep them warm in the winter night.

"I just can't wait for the championships to begin," Masamune chimed. "There must be amazing bladers out there. Of course, I'm still gonna win, no question."

The light from the fire reflected in her eyes as Madoka rolled them. Gingka just grinned. Masamune's overconfidence had once been annoying, but it was reassuring to have someone positive on his side to extinguish the small bouts of nervousness to that would creep in every now and then.

"I just hope there's nothing like the Dark Nebula behind the scenes again," the only girl in the gang commented.

Masamune gave her a confused look. "What's the Dark Nebula?" This earned him looks from the other five. "What?"

Gingka had thought everyone knew about the Dark Nebula. At least, everyone in the country. And if Masamune was from abroad, he would've joined another team, right? Gingka couldn't imagine the hassle of flying to another country to join their team. Besides, there had to be a nationality restriction on the team's, right? But then again, Kyoya was joining another team.

But still, Masamune hadn't known about the World Championships until the battle with Chi Yun. At least, that was what Gingka thought.

Come to think of it, where _had_ Masamune been when everyone else was competing in the Battle Bladers?

"What?" the blader in question repeated, glancing at each of them awkwardly.

"Uh... Masamune, how much do you know about the Battle Bladers?" Madoka asked.

"Let's see... It was a tournament to decide the best blader in Japan, right?" They nodded to him. "Gingka won. And it wasn't held by the WBBA. At least, that's what I've heard."

"Yeah," Yuu replied. He was facing the cackling fire but his eyes were looking at something else, a scene from the past. "Every year, the WBBA holds a tournament called the Survival Battle. The winner of the battle gets to make one wish."

Masamune opened his mouth but Tsubasa managed to catch his eyes and shook his head. The former shut up before he began, getting the hint. There was no need to disturb Yuu's monologue.

"It was my first official tournament," Yuu continued. That explained why no one had heard of him before. "I defeated Gingka and won, and—"

Masamune couldn't hold himself back anymore. "You defeated Gingka?" He flinched when Tsubasa gave him a glare.

Yuu gave him a small nod without looking up, the movement barely noticeable. He was obviously lost in his memories and there was no doubt he wouldn't be back to his cheerful self until he was heard. If Gingka was being honest, this new and serious side to Yuu was scaring him.

"I wished there would be a tournament to decide the best blader in Japan, just like I'd always wanted. But before the tournament, a guy named Doji had met up with me."

From his peripheral vision, Gingka saw Masamune twitch at the name. His golden eyes narrowed slightly. Gingka took a glance around. Hyoma and Madoka had their sights worriedly fixed on Yuu, but Tsubasa was watching Masamune intensely.

Gingka caught his eyes and Tsubasa nodded. Something was up.

"Ryuga became the first person to defeat me and I... Well, I wanted to be his friend so I joined the Dark Nebula." Yuu shook his head and fell silent for a moment, letting them absorb the information. "The Battle Bladers was the perfect way to find power for Ryuga's bey, L-Drago, to steal. And I helped them almost take over the beyblade world."

"Yuu..." Whatever defense Madoka had died on her lips when the orange-haired boy shook his head. The message was clear. They didn't blame Yuu, but that didn't make it any less true.

"So," Masamune began when it became clear Yuu wasn't going to say anything more. "How did you get away from them? The Dark Nebula, I mean."

It was probably the worst question he could have asked at that moment. Yuu shivered and hugged himself even though he was near the fire. He was silent for a while and only the whispers of the wind sounded over the cackling fire.

Finally, Yuu said, "In the Battle Bladers, Gingka defeated me. After that, I was nothing more than food for L-Drago as far as Doji was concerned."

Again, Masamune's shoulders twitched at the name, although his eyes remained focused on their youngest member. Maybe he was doing it unconsciously. But if he hadn't known the Dark Nebula, why was he reacting that way?

"He had me battle this psycho snake person who battles just to destroy people."

Masamune blinked. "Destroy them? With beyblade?" If Gingka hadn't seen it, he probably would have reacted the same way. The thought just seemed impossible.

"Uh huh. He tried the same with me. I... I thought I had him cornered but then I discovered that I was the one with no way out. Libra was so badly damaged, I couldn't even use my special move. I... I was so scared, I could only think about getting away. Libra managed to use it for a short moment and I escaped. I didn't know where else to go, so I looked for Gingka and the others."

Yuu fell silent once more and everyone soaked in his words. Madoka laid a hand on Yuu's shoulder and the kid gave her a shaky smile. It hadn't ever occurred to Gingka that Yuu — a little _kid_ for crying out loud! — felt guilty about helping almost cause a catastrophe, but it should have.

Just then, it occurred to him just how badly the Battle Bladers had affected the people involved. Hikaru had quit beyblading. She, Tsubasa and Kyoya had had their spirits sucked out to their bodies. Pegasus had disintegrated. Kenta and Hyoma had been emotionally tortured on stage. Several officials from the WBBA had faced inquiries and been fired. Bladers had been reduced to power supplies just because they lost a battle.

Had Yuu seen it all before him? Man, he couldn't imagine having to get up everyday and face all those people after being the catalyst for all that destruction. And even after all that, Gingka knew they would still care and worry about Yuu. The kid knew it as well, and pretended nothing was wrong, that he could smile in the face of all the destruction he had indirectly caused.

And Gingka hadn't. Even. _Noticed_. Just what kind of a team leader was he? What kind of a _friend_ was he? What else had he failed to notice?

"S—So," Yuu began and Gingka jumped. The former was looking at Masamune. "Why didn't you compete in the Battle Bladers if you're so obsessed with being the best?"

Masamune blinked. "I was in America. I didn't even know about it until it actually began."

"Why?"

Masamune's eyebrows scrunched in confusion, as though he was trying to remember something. Suddenly, pain etched upon his expression and his hand flew to his forehead as though he was having a headache. He had doubled over in pain and Hyoma held his shoulder.

"You okay?"

"Y—Yeah, I think."

"What happened?" Yuu asked, watching him with concern.

"I don't know." What? "It happens every time I try to remember stuff from before I was ten." Odd.

"But why?"

"I don't know."

As the other two bladers on the team talked, Gingka turned his gaze to Tsubasa. The silver-haired teen was watching Masamune with a small frown, confusion evident in his calculating eyes. No doubt he was working it out in his head.

Madoka changed the subject and informed them of what they would be doing the next day, abating what would have been an awkward silence. For once, Yuu and Masamune were advertent as they listened. At least, it looked that way to Gingka.

By an unspoken agreement, it was decided to leave the cans of worms untouched for the moment. Howbeit, they hadn't agreed on not scrutinizing it. One glance at Tsubasa told Gingka that he had the same train of thought, that they would keep an eye on their teammates.

0-0-0-0-0

Pretending the campfire night had never happened was easier than Gingka had thought it would be. Perhaps it was because they were busy with training or the fact that they couldn't have team battle practice without arguing like nothing was amiss. Regardless, Gingka wasn't complaining.

He couldn't say that the observation was getting anywhere, but Gingka believed in the adage about patience. Like all virtues, it would no doubt yield results. Besides, Gingka was a bit too occupied with learning tennis to pry.

Apparently, team battle practice meant trying out every game that involved teamwork, from three-legged races to mock soccer games. Gingka wasn't really sure what it was going to do but who was he to argue with his "coaches". That, and he didn't want to have an "accident" with snakes.

Still, tennis was going better than the races had, Gingka and Masamune bumping into each other being the only accident. In the races, the two had fallen face first into the ground more times than he could care to count and Tsubasa had nearly trampled Yuu with his pace.

And after all those games, Madoka had given them random scenarios from fantasy tag battles and the ones paired up had to come up with a strategy. The tricky part of the exercise was that one had to start the strategy and the other had to finish it.

Compared to that, their last training day was easier. They had had battles in basically all possible pairs. Of course, the main point was teamwork, not winning — which had been a bit difficult to keep in mind — so they had had to avoid damaging their beys too much if they wanted the next day off.

Of course, they had no such reservations in the last battle.

"Time to end this, Yuu," Masamune said as Striker backed down from its clash against Eagle.

"Alrighty, here we go." Libra took the center of the stadium. "Special Move! Libra!"

The bey's Fusion Wheel and then the whole of it glowed an emerald, much to the confusion and horror of their opponents.

"If you do that, Masamune will be out too," Tsubasa warned.

Of course, Yuu never listened. "Inferno Blast!"

A green pillar of light screeched up into the sky as everyone scrambled to cover their ears. "Oh no!" Gingka said when he saw Pegasus and Eagle inch closer and closer to the center of it.

"I'll just have to tear that move apart." Gingka barely heard Tsubasa over the screeching to move. "Eagle!"

"Not on my watch, pal!" Masamune shouted from the other side. "Striker! Lightning Sword Flash!"

In one motion, the move sent Eagle flying. But Tsubasa wasn't ready to give up just yet. "Special move! Eagle! Diving Crush!"

"If that's how we're playing... Pegasus! Star Booster Attack!"

"Lightning Sword Flash!"

The moves collided into an explosion of dust and bright, white light. When it cleared, the outcome came to light. Four fallen beys, none of them spinning.

"A tie?" Madoka questioned.

"Aw man," Yuu whined as he picked up Libra. Then, he smiled and shrugged. "Oh well, it was fun while it lasted."

"That was an awesome battle!" Masamune agreed.

Soon, the four dissolved into friendly chatter as Madoka and Hyoma watched, having already forgotten that they had been battling against each other, a proper team at last.

0-0-0-0-0

It had occurred to Yuu a while later, but maybe there was more to his loss to Masamune in the qualifiers than he had first thought. In hindsight, something felt off about his battle but he couldn't put his finger on it. Thus, he went to Madoka.

"The qualifiers battle?" the brunette repeated. "Sure, I have it right here."

Yuu watched advertently as the battle played out. He had been winning, until Masamune recklessly charged into his special move and broke through. But how?

"I don't get it," he voiced his thoughts. "How did Masamune break through Inferno Blast like that?"

Madoka sighed. With the mouse pad, she clicked on another video — his battle with Gingky in the Battle Bladers — and pulled out and analysis. She did the same with the qualifiers and compared the stats. Yuu gaped at the screen. There was a barely any difference.

"Yuu, after the Battle Bladers, how many people could really give you a challenge?"

"Well, there was Kenchi and Ben-ben and..." Yuu trailed off as he tried to think. Hippity-hop had quit blading for a while, Gingky didn't even have a bey anymore and Yo-yo and Tsubasa had gone off on their own to train and showed up only a few days before the selection tournament.

"Exactly," Madoka said, snapping him out of his train of thoughts. "Because not many people could give you a challenge, I think you unconsciously started to slack off on training. Thus, while everyone else got stronger, you stayed on the same level as you were."

Yuu opened his mouth to protest but then closed it as the reality of the words hit him. Madoka had a point. He remembered being all bored because most of the battles had gotten boring. Besides, the statistics supported Madoka's theory.

Yuu could feel a frown on his face. It would be a problem if he was planning to win in the World Championships. Besides, if Masamune could beat his special move, then he needed some serious training.

0-0-0-0-0

Gingka watched as Madoka's eyebrows scrunched in concentration. Bent over her laptop, she stared with great intensity as though it would help the situation.

The redhead sighed. "Madoka, I don't think you'll get a network signal this far in the mountains. Besides, it'll make it easy to trace it to the village."

"Just a minute," Madoka answered as she had been since after the barbeque.

The response only elicited another sigh. From the top of his shoulder, attempting to stay away from the tag team of Yuu and Masamune, Hokuto asked, "Why is it so important?"

"Because," Tsubasa replied, "Kotone said she would send an email to explain the rules of the World Championships."

"Do we even have to know them?" Masamune asked, perched on top of a rock since he couldn't climb up to where Gingka was on a high wall. "All we have to do is beat our opponents."

Surprisingly, it was Yuu who countered. "But we still have to know how things will work. Besides, Kotone said she'll also send information on our opponents from the WBBA database." Then, he blinked as though something occurred to him. "Tsubasa, why didn't _you_ do it?"

The Eagle blader merely rolled his eyes. "Because I'm a part of the representative team. It would be abusing my position in the WBBA and it wouldn't be fair to the other teams."

Just then, Madoka let out a shout of joy. "All done!" After she turned the network off, she opened the email while everyone else gathered around her.

Masamune let out a low whistle. "That's a lot of words."

Indeed, staring back at them from the screen were so many words that Gingka's head spin just by glancing at them. Madoka scrolled down the really long message as she skimmed through it. A table with different teams and members was attached near the end along with a few videos.

"Wow, Kotone sure doesn't do things by halves, does she?" the brunette finally commented.

"No, she doesn't," Gingka replied. He had been acquainted with his cousin's thorough personality, but this was a bit much even for her.

They watched silently as Madoka read the whole thing. Finally, she said, "Okay, so unnecessary comments aside, this is actually pretty useful. Basically, the matches will be held in a one-on-one best of three round style. The team with the most wins will adavnce to the next round."

"Like I said, we just have to win," Masamune said.

"The order the bladers compete in will be up to each team," Madoka continued as if nothing had been said. "The blader to compete in the first match will be the Advance Guard. The second will be the Second in Command and finally, the Commander."

"So, where do the team battles come in?" Yuu asked.

"I'm getting to it," Madoka replied. "The matches can be in a tag team style, provided that both teams agree to it prior to the battle. The pairings for the tag battles will be decided by the teams."

Madoka scrolled down a bit. "The teams are randomly separated into two blocks. The third round is actually the A-block semifinals. Both teams competing in the block finals will adavnce to the tournament semifinals regardless of who wins."

"Huh?" Gingka said. "They both will move on?"

"Yeah." Madoka then turned her attention back to the screen. "The A-block runner-ups will battle the B-block winners and the A-block winners will battle the B-block runner-up. The winners of the two matches will then compete in the tournament finals."

Yuu's eyes lit up. "That means we'll be getting tons of fun battles!"

"Don't count your chicken before they hatch, Yuu," Tsubasa replied.

Yuu threw him a quizzical look. "What do hatching eggs have anything to do with this?"

Before Tsubasa could reply, Madoka had already moved on. "Additionally, the teams that lose in the first and second rounds get to compete in a wild card tournament. The winner of that tournament gets to battle against one of the finalists to earn a spot in the finals."

"And what about the teams?" Tsubasa asked.

"Well, there's Team Want Hu Zhong from China, Team Chandora from India, Team Lovushka from Russia, Team— Ahh!"

"What is it?" Masamune asked.

"It's Kyoya!" Madoka exclaimed, voice adrip with shock.

Gingka's eyes widened. "What?!" He leaned forward, scanning the screen until he found the name he was looking for. Kyoya was stated as the African team's leader, Team Wild Fang. No doubt the name was a moniker of his bey.

"So, Yo-yo joined the African team," Yuu commented. "And Ben-ben's their sub?"

Gingka drowned out Masamune's comment in how weird Yuu's nicknames were as he stared at the screen. His mind reeled back to the lion blader's parting words to him.

_"There's only one blader in the world that I want to defeat. And it's you Gingka, it's you."_

In the end, all he could manage to say was a mumble of, "Kyoya..."

0-0-0-0-0

It took a while, but Gingka finally got out of the shock of Kyoya being on the African team. Kotone had gone an extra mile with her help and attached a few videos of the Chinese qualifiers and even edited some to show a slow motion of their complex moves. It made their job a little easier, so Gingka made a mental note to buy her some of her favorite candies before they left for China.

After a day of rest, the team's visit to Koma Village drew to an end and before Gingka knew it, he was at the train station near the forest, bidding farewell to his old friends.

"Win big time, alright?" Hyoma said, cutting in Yuu and Masamune's argument of whether or not the sub could compete in the first round.

"You bet," they both replied at the same time.

"I'll bring you some souvenirs, okay?" Gingka said jokingly.

Hyoma chuckled. "I'll hold you to that."

The train whistled one last time. "Thanks for everything you guys," Madoka said.

"No problem," Hyoma replied as the train began to pull away.

Before turning inside, Gingka set one last look on the forest surrounding his childhood home for the next who knew how long. Silently, he made a vow to himself. Even if he didn't win, he would make his every experience out there count.

o-o-o-o

**Alright, so this turned it longer than I intended. *Stretches fingers* Well, this _was_ supposed to be a long chapter, but the campfire scene just somehow ended up there. By the way, I've decided to twist a few backstories so Kaleidoscopic will divert from canon more than intended. However, I'll still try to stay as true to the canon as the plot will allow it.**

**Now, on to the side notes:**

**1) It has always bugged me the way Hyoma rarely wins a battle in the rare event that he does show up in episodes. Personally, I believe he would have been way stronger in Masters if they had shown him for more than two episodes. So, yeah, he'll be at least mentioned more often.**

**2) I really don't get why they almost never show anyone training in the show, so I took the liberty to dedicate a whole chapter to it.**

**3) I don't really get why, to beat Hikaru, Kenta has to do all that physical training. This has led me to believe that a blader's physical condition can affect their bey's performance.**

**4) The part about Yuu's guilt killed me, but it had to be done. I mean, sure he's a kid who didn't know any better and he was forgiven by everyone but the fact that he helped the Dark Nebula take over the world still remains. He knew what he was doing too, although he saw L-Drago sucking everyone's power as Ryuga getting stronger. And the anime never really shows any guilt from his whatsoever, so I believe that since everyone's recovering from the Battle Bladers, Yuu keeps those feelings to himself so he wouldn't be a bother.**

**5) The Battle Bladers had really horrific effects when you think about it. Nothing on a world level, but still. I've already stated some of them, so I won't do it here but the fact remains the same.**

**6) I believe that the reason Yuu's Inferno Blast was broken through by Striker when Pegasus couldn't do it is because of the angle. The Star Blast Attack was directed at Libra while Lightning Sword Flash was pushing aside the power. However, I doubt Masamune's plan would have worked realistically, so I made it this way.**

**Yuu**** slacking off on training because not many can give him a challenge is something I can see the Fusion Yuu doing. It wouldn't have made sense for Fury or post-Masters scenarios, but pre-Masters Yuu tends to underestimate his opponents (the battle royale tournament).**

**I used to rant a lot on how the Yuu of Metal Masters is weaker, but now I believe that Yuu didn't become weak. Rather, everyone else became stronger while Yuu stayed at the same level. In Metal Fury, Yuu seems to have realized this and is improving once again.**

**7) I honestly don't get why the team never really researched on their opponents. I mean, Excalibur and Want Hu Zhong seem really well-known, so they could have gotten the information on the internet. Besides, Tsubasa is a secret agent for the WBBA so he must have access to their database and as the organization hosting the tournament, they are bound to have information on it.**

**Plus****, I don't really like how they have no idea how the tournament works and are just relying on luck. The way they are trying to get information on Want Hu Zhong instead of just looking up the Chinese qualifiers seems a little stupid to me.**

**I**** think I forgot what else I wanted to explain, so if you don't get something, don't hesitate to ask. And the next update might take a while, but I'll try to make it as quick as I can.**

**By**** the way, am I the only one who can't open the websote or is it the same for everyone?**

**Onto the reviews:**

**Guest: **I'm glad you like it. Man, that would have been funny. Too bad the chapter was already posted and the next one was too long as it is. But that would have been awesome. Thanks.


	4. The Ways of a Spy

**Chapter 4: The Ways of a Spy**

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It felt great to walk after being cooped up in a plane for around three and a half hours. Once they were out of the crowded airport, Masamune stopped for a moment to stretch. Having to sit still for so long sucked, but at least he had a tournament to look forward to. Too bad it was still days away.

"Hold on," Madoka said as they began to move away from the port. "Let me inform my parents first."

Gingka's eyes widened. "Oh yeah, I have to let Dad know we're here too."

As they fished out their phones from their pockets, Masamune's brain went into overdrive. Even as his mind reeled, a feeling of dread settled inside him.

Let...know...

_The brunet didn't look too reassured even after Masamune's attempt at convincing him. Still, he sighed and said, "Alright. Just... Just let me know when you get there, okay?"_

He was such an idiot! Zeo was gonna kill him and dance on his grave. What was he supposed to do now? His friend was most likely gonna be really super mad.

"Okay, we're all set to go now." Gingka's voice broke him out of his prison of thoughts and Masamune jumped.

"Uh..." Everyone turned to look at him, their questions evident in their expressions. "I... have to make a call first, okay?" Without waiting for a response, Masamune dashed ahead, perfectly aware of the lingering gazes of his teammates.

He turned at a side of the building. No one was around him and Masamune let out a sigh of relief. It was best if he was alone for this particular call. He didn't have any trouble remembering the number. Even if he had Zeo's phone number saved, Masamune didn't need to search for it. Typing the particular combination of digits had become a habit by now.

Wearing a worried frown, Masamune put the phone close to his ears and paced as the call connected. He glanced at the corner he had turned from and shrugged. His teammates were many things, but they weren't nosy.

"Come on," he muttered to himself, resuming his pacing. "Pick up already, Zeo."

After a painfully long moment of ringing, Masamune finally heard the familiar click from the other side. His face involuntarily formed a grin. "Zeo—"

He was cut off by a harsh voice from the other side. "What do you want?"

His grin faltered. "Zeo, I—"

"Look, I don't want to talk to you right now, so just go back to your new friends and forget the ones you abandoned."

Masamune blinked. "Abandoned?" He could feel frustration filling inside him and gritted his teeth. "I didn't abandon anyone, okay?"

He heard a bitter chuckle from the other side. "Really? _Really_? You left when your friend was really sick, promised to come back and then joined a tournament that's going to last months without telling a single soul."

Masamune couldn't help but flinch. He had been so stupid. He should have thought about his promise to Zeo, of Toby's condition, of how his friends would feel if he suddenly turned up in a tournament without a word in weeks, having the time of his life while one of his friends might as well have been on his death bed. He should have thought.

Masamune had to force out a response. "Look, I'm sorry, alright?" There was a scoff of contempt from the other side and Masamune sighed. "I won't force you to forgive me or anything, but I'd like it if we could be friends again."

Silence. And then a sigh. "I... I don't know if I'm ready to forgive and forget just yet, but..."

Zeo didn't need to finish the sentence for Masamune to understand. Even if Zeo hated him for disappearing like that without a word, neither wanted their friendship to end because of it. For Toby's sake if not anything else. Still, Zeo had every right to be mad at him.

"Yeah, I get it." There was a silence so awkward that Masamune physically cringed. "So, how's Toby doing?"

Silence. Had he asked something wrong? Had things gotten worse since he had left? Toby was okay, right? No matter how enraged he was, Zeo would have called if something happened. Right?

"He's...getting better."

Masamune let out a breath he hadn't realized his was holding. Still, something about Zeo's tone was wrong. "But...?" the green-clad blader prompted.

Zeo gave a weary sigh in response. "His condition got really bad a while after you left. It... It got to the point where I thought... I though he..."

No wonder Zeo was mad at him. Masamune was mad at himself. He had always considered himself to be the type of person who would do literally _anything_ for a friend. And yet the thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

"I tried to contact you, but I couldn't," Zeo continued. Masamune wanted to tell him to stop, to get him to quit recounting how he had failed his friends, but how could he? Zeo had had to deal with it on his own. What right did he have to stop him from it?

"I'm sorry," Masamune echoed his earlier words. It was all he found himself able to do. His grip on the phone tightened while his other fist clenched at his side.

"I know. But he's getting better now, so that's good."

Masamune couldn't help a small smile that formed on his face. Most people who knew of their little trio back in America thought that Masamune was the optimistic one, but in reality that spot went to Zeo. Masamune was the confident one, Zeo was the one to find the silver lining in every cloud and Toby was the mom friend.

"Yeah." They fell into silence again, but this one was at least more comfortable than the last.

Zeo was the one to break it. "Masamune, why did you join the World Championships?"

"Huh?" Masamune blinked. He honestly hadn't expected that question. "Well, I thought it would be good way to prove that I'm Number One Blader."

"That's it?" Even with the distance between China and America, Masamune could see the incredulous look Zeo was most likely wearing. He swore Zeo got that look from being around Toby so much.

"Actually, no." He was both surprised and unsurprised to find no answer to it. Still, he could imagine Zeo nodding as if he expected it all along. Then again, everyone back at the Dungeon Gym _did_ call him the reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes. "I figured we could help Toby with the prize money."

"Assuming you win," Zeo said.

Masamune puffed out his cheeks in a mock pout. "Of course I'm gonna win. Against me, the other teams don't have a prayer." Mentally, he marvelled at how easy it was to fall back into habit, as if nothing had happened between them. Masamune liked that thought.

"Think again, because you'll be battling me in the finals." Zeo sounded excited, but there was something in his voice that sounded wrong. Masamune didn't dwell in it though. It was probably because Toby wouldn't be able to compete.

Besides, there was something more surprising about the statement.

"Wait, you're on the team?"

"What's with the tone of surprise?"

Masamune laughed. He knew Zeo well enough to know he wasn't really mad. He could hear a familiar laugh from the other end of the conversation. "I'll be looking forward to it, okay? So don't you dare lose until then."

"It's a deal." That one simple statement told Masamune all he needed to know. That everything was forgiven and forgotten. "You guys are in the A-block, right?"

"Yeah. And I'm guessing you're in the B-block."

"Uh huh."

Before Masamune could say anything else, hurried footsteps reached his ears. He turned his head to the corner to find Yuu sprinting towards him. "Masamune, we need to leave the airport! Hurry up!"

"Alright, alright." The words came out with a more annoyed tone than he had intended, but Masamune wasn't going to apologise. He didn't want that moment to pass. He wanted to stay there by the airport terminal, talking with his old friends about everything he had seen and done in Japan.

He heard Zeo chuckle at the other end of the line. "You should go. We'll talk later. Besides, it's around one in the morning where I am."

Masamune could feel some irritation seep in. "Then what are you doing awake? Get some sleep!"

Zeo merely laughed which only served to fuel his worried annoyance. "Will do. You've certainly given me a lot to sleep on."

Once they finally said their goodbyes and Masamune promised to call when it wasn't night there, he pocketed his phone and turned to see a curious Yuu.

The orange-haired kid tilted his head slightly. "Who was that? You were taking for _ages_! Was that one of your friends from America? Is that why you told him to sleep?"

Masamune rolled his eyes. "It wasn't that long, Yuu. And yes to all the other questions."

"Sure seemed like it," Yuu grumbled as they began walking back to their teammates. "Can I talk to him some time?"

"We'll see."

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Soon, the team found themselves wandering around aimlessly. After checking in at the hotel and dropping off their luggage, there really wasn't much for them to do.

"So, now what do we do?" Gingka asked no one in particular.

Without opening his eyes — they were almost always closed — Tsubasa said, "The first round is in three days. Three and a half if you count today."

"So what do we do until then?" Yuu asked.

Madoka was the one to reply. "I think we should collect information on Wang Hu Zhong first of all."

Gingka gave her a look. "We already have that in your laptop that you're addicted to, remember?"

Madoka short him a small glare. "I'm _not_ addicted." The statement went into a wagon of eye rolls from the rest of the team. "I'm not," she insisted before shaking her head. "Anyways, I still think we should check it out in person. Numbers can change. And really, you wouldn't say that you're on the same skill level as the qualifiers, would you?"

Madoka had a point, Masamune had to admit that much. Then, something else came from his memory and Masamune grinned, turning to Tsubasa who was already eyeing him warily. "You're a secret agent on vacation, right Tsubasa? Lead the way then. Teach your amazing pupils the ways of the shinobi."

Tsubasa raised an eyebrow at him. "You _do_ know that a shinobi is a ninja, not an agent, right? And besides, it's not _secret_ agent. It's _special_ agent. There's a difference."

Masamune rolled his eyes. Killjoy. "Same difference."

Tsubasa mirrored his earlier action and rolled his golden eyes. "It is not. And don't let Kotone hear you say that. She does _not_ like Naruto."

"Yeah, yeah," Masamune said. Sure, the kid could be scary sometimes but she was still a kid. "So, you _will_ teach us, right?"

"I never said that."

But Masamune was already imagining all the super cool lessons he would get. "It'll be awesome. I can't wait for our first lesson."

He succeeded in one thing at least: making Tsubasa lose his composure. The Eagle blader said through gritted teeth, "Hey, are you even listening? I _never_ agreed and I never will."

It would probably end ugly, but Masamune was having too much fun to care about to at the moment. He put on a mock heartbroken countenance and said dramatically, "You are _heartless_, Tsubasa. Why do you have to ruin my dreams? Why?"

"Anyways," Yuu cut in before Tsubasa could reply. "Can we play out a Spy Kids parody later? I want to go sightseeing."

"But—"

Yuu cut the brunette off with a small glare. "You and Hyoma put us through _hell_! Hell, I tell you! I demand a holiday!"

"The kid has a point," Tsubasa said.

"B—But..." Madoka trailed off, ignoring Yuu's shout of how he wasn't a kid. She must have know that if even Tsubasa was siding with the other three, she had no chance of winning. "Fine."

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Bad table manners, a lot of food bills, a couple of hours and extreme disappointment on Masamune's part about the lack of pandas later, the team found themselves on their way back to the hotel.

Even through their loud chatter about how awesome all sights were, they could all clearly hear the sound of a beybattle. Must have been a result of trying to talk over Yuu's Inferno Blast during their boot camp. Or it could be blader instincts too.

Regardless of how, they were all soon witnessing Mei-Mei beat the heck out of a small gang for a bunch of kids with relatively little problem.

Soon after the pleasantries were done with, Masamune decided to do something about their earlier argument. If they were going to look for updated information, might as well start. "We've been looking all over for you guys," he said.

Mei-Mei blinked. "Looking for us? Why?"

"Well, Madoka's been bugging us about collecting information and spying on the enemy and all that stuff." Masamune heard the distinctive sound of someone's palm meeting their forehead before Madoka moved forward and clamped his mouth shut with a hand.

"What he means is that we'd like you to show us how you practice," Masamune heard Gingka say even as he struggled against Madoka's hold. He would have licked it but Madoka was wearing a glove.

Madoka rolled her eyes. "Be sensible, Gingka." She then addressed a bewildered Mei-Mei. "Of course, you would never show us just because we asked, right?"

But the Chinese sub merely shrugged. "Sure, it's no problem."

Madoka's hold on Masamune loosened as she gaped at the other female. Masamune took the chance to distance himself from Madoka slightly, rubbing his cheek where she had pressed too tightly.

"Thanks Mei-Mei," Gingka said. "You're the best."

As they began to walk away from the place, Masamune heard Tsubasa say to Yuu, "Looks like the holiday's cancelled."

He didn't have to look to see Yuu pouting with his arms crossed as he whined, "Aw, man."

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Wang Hu Zhong must have been used to it but the trek to this special training place alone was enough to convince Masamune to abort the mission. He didn't want to face Madoka's wrath though, so he kept that opinion to himself. It probably would have been worse if they hadn't visited the Koma Boot Camp. The thought alone was enough to give him shivers.

Looking around the temple Mei-Mei had taken them to, Masamune could easily see the effort they put in their training. He watched as one of the trainees fell from a rope and was yelled at pretty harshly by the instructor. Masamune was eerily reminded of a military school.

Soon, Chi Yun appeared and gave a speech about the Beylin Temple which Masamune mostly ignored in favor of staring at the training. It was hard and all, but it was nothing compared to having snakes sicced on you as a motivation to run laps or having wild boars glower and ready to eat you while you're trying to focus on balancing on a pointed boulder and launching correctly at the same time.

Masamune had to rejudge the place's training once he saw a guy defeat a hundred other with just once attack. Okay, so maybe the temple wasn't that much of a pushover. Still, they couldn't beat him, that was for sure.

"That was awesome!" Yuu exclaimed.

"All those beys with just one attack..." Tsubasa trailed off, sounding more than a little impressed.

"He was able to read all those beys that quickly?" Gingka questioned.

The guy who won turned to them with a look Masamune didn't like. "What's this?" he asked Mei-Mei and Chi Yun. "Who are these people?"

Masamune narrowed his eyes at the tone. "Who're you calling "people"?"

Mei-Mei walked up to the rude dual-haired teen with a smile. "Let me introduce them. These are Japan's representatives, Team Gan Gan Galaxy."

Immediately, the guy's entire demeanor changed. He smiled at them and even bowed slightly. "Please excuse my rudeness." He then straightened, though the smile remained intact. Masamune didn't know why, but he didn't like this guy. "I am the leader of Wang Hu Zhong. My name is Dashan Wang."

"The leader, huh?" Gingka mumbled to himself.

"Dashan Wang..." Masamune echoed. Were all the teams named after the leader alone? First Gan Gan Galaxy, then Wild Fang and now Wang Hu Zhong? And this guy was the leader. "So, Chi Yun isn't the leader?" That _was_ what he had thought at first.

The aforementioned blader's eyes widened slightly. "I never claimed to be the leader." He had a point, Masamune had to give him that much.

"I guess you didn't," Madoka said as if she had just realized it as well.

"Hey, wait a minute," Yuu said. "Mei-Mei's the sub, right? So where's the third regular member of your team?" Good point.

Mei-Mei's eyes widened slightly at the question but she didn't reply. Masamune glanced at Dashan, but the Chinese leader didn't have a hint on his face.

Chi Yun was the one to respond. Looking away slightly, he said, "Nevermind. We know where he is."

The whole team let out a synchronized, "Huh?"

Mei-Mei waved her hands around wildly and hurriedly said, "H—He's not here right now. You'll meet him sooner or later."

"But more importantly," Dashan began. "You're Gingka aren't you?"

"You know who I am?" the aforementioned blader asked.

"Of course. Ever since you won the Battle Bladers, you've become pretty famous in China too."

Masamune felt a spark of irritation inside him. How come everyone made such a big deal out of Gingka? Sure, he got why in Japan but the Battle Bladers shouldn't matter in China, right? Besides, Team China already knew of the qualifiers, so shouldn't the rest of them get some acknowledgement too? Masamune had been totally awesome!

"I'm sure there are bladers all around the world who would like a battle with you," Dashan continued. Masamune felt his scowl deepen as Gingka suddenly became all modest. "But you won't get a chance to face them."

"Huh?"

"The ones to win the first round and fight the world will be us, Wang Hu Zhong."

Masamune's fists clenched at his sides. He could wipe the floor with those guys without breaking a sweat. "Fat chance of that happening," he said.

"You've seen our training techniques," Dashan replied to their surprise and irritation. "After seeing that, do you really think you can win?"

"Of course," Gingka said. "Why wouldn't we?"

"You aren't the only ones working hard to get stronger, you know," Yuu said, reminding Masamune of the hell they all were put through. He shivered at the thought of some more snakes running after him for breakfast.

"All bladers work hard to get better everyday," Masamune said as he tried to shake the feeling off.

Dashan let out something akin to a mixture of a sigh and a chuckle. "You have passion, I'll give you that. Well then, Gingka, why don't you join me in my training?"

Masamune gritted his teeth. Again with Gingka? Seriously? The rest of them were there too! His irritation only increased when Gingka agreed and he declared, "Me too! I'm doing it as well."

Neither of them paid any heed to Madoka's protests. Masamune would get Dashan to acknowledge him like Gingka.

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After some epic fails, some less epic but still fails and a few successes, the two dropped on the floor, panting. Masamune had to admit, it wasn't as easy as it had looked. Still, it would have been worse if they hadn't done all that training before leaving Japan. For once, he was glad he had been tortured.

Maybe Masamune had gone wacko after all that.

He drowned out as their other teammates chewed them out for behaving "rashly" and accepting the training offer, along with the fact that Wang Hu Zhong had been training like that since who knew how long.

"You're right. They have the advantage," Gingka said. "But we still should have done much better."

"Right," Masamune said.

"I must say, I was surprised," came a voice. They turned to find Dashan walking towards them with what seemed like a pleasant smile, although something didn't sit right with Masamune. "You were able to do much better than I expected. You are definitely worthy of being the Battle Bladers champion, Gingka."

Masamune's teeth clenched as Gingka rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Even his modesty wasn't as annoying as before, but mostly because he was too ticked off at Dashan to notice. The latter sucked up to Gingka — for what reason, anyways? — and ignored Masamune's arguments, making the tricolor-haired teen bristle silently.

"I know, you must be tired," the die-hard Gingka fan said, obviously addressing only the redhead, "but I would like for you to spend some more time with me."

Gingka blinked and for a moment, Masamune had a feeling he wasn't the only one suspicious. "Okay." And Masamune's hope was shot down just like that. He glanced at Tsubasa, but he didn't seem wary at all. "But to do what?"

"To battle with me. I heard you were exempt from the qualifying tournament. I was hoping to see the Battle Bladers champion in action."

Again with the Battle Bladers! Was there really no other thing he could say?

"Alright!" a fired up Gingka exclaimed.

Dashan's smile widened just a tad and Masamune had a feeling he had seen the look in his eyes before. "I'm honored to get this chance to battle the Battle Bladers champion."

Something in his tone got Masamune's internal alarms blaring. Dashan was sucking up to Gingka, all for a battle? That was weird. Masamune didn't know what he wanted for sure, but he had a feeling the answer was right in front of him.

Just what was he not seeing?

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It didn't take them long to reach the stadium from Dashan's earlier display. As Gingka and Dashan took their places, Masamune made a mental note to keep an eye on the latter. Still, he wished he could have been in Gingka's place and battling someone.

"I wanna battle too!" he said, unable to hold it in any longer.

Gingka turned his head over his shoulder and gave him an apologetic look. "You can battle after this." He turned back to the Chinese leader. "You wouldn't mind, right Dashan?"

Dashan's smile was borderline a smirk. "Of course not. It would be my pleasure." After a whole day off ignoring the rest of them, he wouldn't mind battling them? Something was really wrong.

Dashan took out a yellow bey at the same time as Madoka took out her mini laptop. "This is my bey, Rock Zurafa. Even if this is a practice match, I will not hold back."

"Sound good to me."

The battle began and Pegasus was immediately on the offense, hitting Zurafa relentlessly. Next to him, Madoka and Yuu cheered but Masamune couldn't help but frown slightly. His wariness was only increasing and the battle had just started.

Pegasus pushed Zurafa to the edge and that was when Dashan finally did something. Zurafa spun into the air and Dashan called out, "Rock Zurafa! Strong Arm Slash!"

Zurafa descended to the stadium before anyone could register and collided with Pegasus. The beys caused a small explosion, kicking up a cloud of dust in the air. Pegasus skidded to the center of the stage, Performance Tip sparking against the ground.

Masamune's fist clenched. That amount of friction would surely slow Pegasus's rotation by a lot.

Pegasus was as stubborn as it's blader and was soon attacking Zurafa as it had been at the start of the battle. Masamune glanced at Dashan. Why was he so calm? He took another look at Zurafa. That many attacks should have shown some effect, but Zurafa was spinning perfectly.

Had he overestimated the strength behind those attacks? No, Gingka wasn't one to do things by halves, especially not when it came to battling. Maybe the redhead _had_ picked up on Dashan's weird persona and was being cautious? It really wasn't like Gingka to be so subtle and observant, but Masamune had to admit, it was the first time he himself was being all cautious too. At least, as far as he remembered.

"Hey, Madoka?"

The brunette didn't look up from her laptop, her brow wrinkling in confusion. "Yeah?"

"Is Gingka holding back or something?" That got her attention and Madoka finally looked at him. From her other side, Yuu turned to him in confusion too. "I mean, Pegasus's attacks don't seem to be doing all that much damage."

Madoka turned to the battle and stared for a moment before her eyes widened. "I see what you mean!" She typed away on her laptop, eyebrows scrunching in confusion. "Pegasus is using its normal attack power."

"So how come Zurafa isn't affected?" Tsubasa asked. Masamune jumped, having forgotten that he was there in the first place.

"I don't know. By now, Zurafa's stamina should have dropped by a quarter at least."

"Madoka, can you show us Zurafa's part analysis?" Yuu asked, standing on the tips of his toes to see the screen of Madoka's laptop.

The brunette typed too rapidly for Masamune to understand, lowering her laptop slightly so Yuu could see it without a problem. Soon, Zurafa's part were right in front of him and separated. Masamune leaned forward. "Is that... _rubber_ in its Spin Track?"

Yuu hit his palm with his fist. "Of course! Rubber can endure more pressure and absorb most attacks."

Tsubasa commented, "Pegasus is steadily losing stamina because of it."

The tables were turned and it was Zurafa's turn to attack, leaving the winged horse at its mercy. "I thought you would have more power than this," Dashan said.

"I'm just getting started," Gingka replied.

"In that case, don't hold back on my account."

Masamune turned to the stadium, watching as Zurafa attacked relentlessly. With Pegasus's lowered stamina, a strong attack could have finished it, but Zurafa kept at it. Masamune's eyes narrowed. Zurafa's attacks didn't seem to do much damage to Pegasus either.

Was it because Zurafa was a defense type? Still, all Dashan needed to do was deliver one strong hit and Masamune had seen the bey tear through wood earlier. So why wasn't Dashan ending it?

Masamune suddenly had a feeling of déjà vu. He could almost see someone else in their places, a pink bey attacking but not finishing a green one. His vision swayed suddenly and Masamune tried to be as discreet as he could in pressing a hand against his throbbing forehead. For a second, he saw two — no, four copies of Gingka. Masamune shook his head slightly and blinked rapidly. He glanced at the stadium and this time, saw only one of each person.

From the corner of his eyes, he tried to see if his teammates had noticed but they seemed focused on the battle. Good. He didn't want to discuss it with anyone that was Zeo or Toby.

He turned to the battle in time to hear Gingka say, "Special move!" In a blindingly bright vortex of blue rose a white winged horse. The glow pierced Masamune's eyes and he suddenly had a vision of a giant, forest green snake in Pegasus's place.

As sudden as a speeding car, the answer hit him like a car crash.

Masamune barely had time to comprehend Pegasus flying into the air and Dashan calling out his own move as he hurriedly took out his own launcher and bey. "Let it rip!" Masamune ignored the surprised exclamations from around him as Striker, for a lack of better words, struck Pegasus before it could reach Zurafa.

The stadium exploded into a blinding pillar of light, which was a murder on Masamune's aching head. It cleared to reveal three wobbling beys. Masamune sighed in relief.

Once it settled in, Gingka was soon to shout, "What do you think you're doing, Masamune?!"

Masamune could feel irritation flow into him like water. _Yeah, yell. It's not like I just stopped you from showing your best move to an enemy or something,_ was what he wanted to say. Still, Masamune put a temporary lid on it and rubbed the back of his head, wearing the best sheepish expression he could muster. "Sorry, I just couldn't help it. Don't get you undies all bunched up."

He caught sight of Gingka's bright hair and mentally winced. His poor throbbing head. "You don't mind, do you Dashan?"

The Chinese blader was already recalling his bey, which flew into his extended hand. "You really are an interesting bunch. I'm looking forward to the first round."

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Despite Mei-Mei's insistence, Masamune was adamant that she did not help them get back even if they _could_ get lost in the mountains. He had to chew Gingka out for it without any of the Chinese team members and he was not doing it in the hotel. Once they got back, Masamune was dealing with no one but his bed. And maybe some painkillers.

He supposed he was lucky Madoka and Tsubasa were polite enough to decline the offer after their hospitality. Masamune could tell they were curious about his intervention, even if they made it seem like they didn't want to cause more trouble for her after she was nice enough to bring them to the temple. Of course, Mei-Mei was having none of that so they spent what seemed like an hour watching Mei-Mei and Madoka pointlessly argue with politeness.

As soon as they were far enough, Masamune rounded on Gingka — ignoring the headache the sudden movement caused — and shouted, "Did you lose your mind?!"

"What are you talking about?"

Masamune crossed his arms, doing his best to pull off one of Toby's _are-you-for-real_ looks. "You were about to show the enemy your best move before the battle even began!" Gingka faltered at that and Masamune crossed his arms. "It seemed weird that he was only addressing you, a knucklehead with no sense. It was rude and goofy, but after sucking up to you, he got you to battle him and show him your special move, you nitwit."

It was starting to eerily mirror the lectures Toby would give him and Zeo when they were kids. God, he did not want to turn into the Dungeon Mom 2.0.

"I get it!" Madoka exclaimed. "Thanks to Masamune, they still don't know the full power of the Star Booster Attack."

Gingka opened his mouth, only to close it again as he tried to form words. After a moment of looking like a fish, he finally said, "I'm sorry guys. I got so caught up in the moment, I almost blew it."

Great, now that Gingka knew what an idiot he was, Masamune only wanted some painkillers, sleeping pills, a bed and some peace and quiet.

"So, we went straight into the enemy's lair led by one of them and nearly got our secret spilled while trying to get information," Tsubasa summed up. "That had to be the wrongest spy mission I've ever known of."

"Still," Yuu chirped with a light jump in his step as they all began walking again. Someone needed to give that kid a lesson on silence. "That was the best holiday ever!"

"We still don't know who their fourth blader is though," Gingka said.

"There's a press conference the day after tomorrow," Madoka said. "We'll probably see him there."

"But would that be enough to know his abilities?" Gingka asked. He only received a shrug in response.

As they walked, Masamune could have sworn he saw Tsubasa glance at him from the corners of his eyes. He turned to look at him properly, but the silver-haired teen was talking to a really happy Yuu. Masamune shrugged. Maybe he'd been imagining it.

He thought back to his little predicament. That had never happened to him before, even if situation did seem oddly familiar. When he thought about it, it all started from the day of the campfire. Masamune made a mental note to ask Zeo about this Doji — he couldn't help but shiver at the thought of the name for some reason — person.

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**Okay, this chapter was done quicker than I thought. Anyways, onto to the notes:****1) The distance from China to Japan is 3,054 kilometers. This air travel distance is equal to 1,898 miles. The air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between China and Japan is 3,054 km= 1,898 miles. If you travel with an airplane (which has an average speed of 560 miles) from China to Japan, it takes 3.39 hours to arrive.**

**2) According to Madame Google, the time difference between China and America is around twelve hours. Sine GG Galaxy leave for China in the afternoon, I'm making it so that they leave at twelve and reach China around two, because when they're leaving the Beylin Temple in canon, it's evening and considering the amount of time they must have taken in sightseeing and then the trek and then the training, it's reasonable that they leave by sundown. And according to a time zone converter, if it's 2 p.m. in China, then it's 1 a.m. in America.**

**3) Personally, I believe that the whole drama with Zeo in the Star Breaker arc could have been avoided if Masamune took the time to call even once. For someone who values his friends more than anything, it's really stupid and selfish of Masamune. I mean, I get that between defeating Gingka and the tournament, it could have slipped his mind, but there were various occasions that could have been a reminder for him, particularly scenes with Kenta and Yuu/Gingka. And in Kaleidoscopic, Masamune even saw Gingka reuniting with his childhood friend for a while.**

**4) Masamune may be a Japanese (as stated in the flashback episode with Toby, though I personally think he's a Japanese-American) but he's spent most of his life in America. Thus, he's bound to have forgotten some things about Japan, if he has even been there before. Hence the whole shinobi and spy thing.**

**5) The idea about Tsubasa teaching the rest of the team spy skills came from a fanfiction on FFN titled "Sensei". Too bad it's discontinued (at least, I think it was, it's been a while) because it made me laugh a lot.****6) The whole press conference thing in Metal Masters has always confused me. I mean, we don't see it in the first two rounds for Gan Gan Galaxy, but it's there during the Wild Fang vs Chandora match (Wild Fang's second round) and then, it disappears from the rest of the tournament.**

**While**** one could say that it was done off screen, the matchups are usually decided in the conferences, but in the first two rounds for GG Galaxy, they decide it either through emails or just minutes before the battle — even in the second round in the Russian battle. And in the A-block finals, the team was trying to hide Tsubasa's disappearance and he shows up when they're on their way to the stadium and there doesn't seem to be anything by the press on his sudden departure and arrival. In the Brazilian match, the team probably would have accused them of sabotage during the conference — Masamune would have at least — the way they did before the knockout battle. And in the finals, it would have been interesting if Masamune being his reckless self would ask what Damian did to Yuu and Tsubasa — or Kenta or Madoka who would have recognized him. But nothing like that happens. So, I'm including the conferences for the other rounds as well. It would be interesting to see how Julian handles being the only one on his team to show up.**

**That's**** all for now, I think. And I've decided that Kaleidoscopic is going to be a full AU instead of slight AU, although the major changes will come later since I need to develop it gradually.**

**And finally, we have the reviews:**

**KacchakoRyuKaru: **Thanks! There will certainly be more development, so stay tuned.

**Jayda15:**Thank you for all the compliments and the long review. I really appreciate it. I'm really glad you like the characters, since that's what I'm trying to focus on. And saying that you enjoy my fic more than the original is the best praise I could ever imagine, so thanks! Yuu, Hyoma and Tsubasa are some of my favorite characters and I really wish I could have seen them more in the anime. Tsubasa and Yuu's friendship is my favorite relationships in the anime.

Reiji is the creepiest and most disturbing character in Fusion. His battles with Hyoma, Yuu and Kenta used to make me want to punch him as a kid. I agree with you that Yuu has to have some sort of an aftereffect from that battle and like the older version, I do plan to include it soon.

Speaking of the older one, I'm glad you liked that version too. The reason I had to discontinue it was that I had literally no planning in it and since my writing style was still under progress, it felt a little random and disconnected for some reason. I didn't really find it rude or anything, so no worries. And I will do my best to complete this version (and I don't plan on rewriting the season for the third time) along with some spin-offs from the Kaleidoscopic series I mentioned before. I really enjoy writing this fic. And no need to apologise, I love long reviews (and reviews in general).


	5. The Destruction of the Great Wall

**Turns out, I like the reviews better on top than on bottom.**

**Guest****:** Haha, I can so see that happening.

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**Chapter 5: The Destruction of the Great Wall**

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Masamune woke up with a scream and sat up, panting as he did.

Fire...

He barely registered Gingka's startled yelp as he looked around. He tried to connect his surroundings with something from his memory, if only to give his mind to do something other than thinking about his nightmare.

Nightmare, he repeated in his mind. Just a nightmare, nothing more. A nightmare... About... About... What, exactly?

His hands clenched. Feeling fabric between his hands, Masamune glanced down to notice his tight grip on his blanket. He relaxed his hands and took a deep breath. It was nothing, just a silly dream. It wasn't real. It wasn't.

A hand rested on his shoulder and Masamune jumped. His head whipped to his side and he winced.

"Everything okay?" Gingka asked, golden eyes radiating a concern he could see even in the dark.

Masamune opened his mouth to reply but his voice abandoned him. His eyes flitted around the room, once again taking comfort in the darkness. Swallowing thickly, Masamune nodded. "Y-Yeah. Just a stupid dream. And a headache." Except it wasn't just a dream and Masamune knew that, even if he didn't remember it clearly. "Sorry I woke you up."

Gingka didn't reply, nor did he remove his gaze. Desperate to avoid the redhead's eyes, Masamune turned to his bedside table. The bottle's contents glistened in the lone ray of moonlight that invaded the room. After pouring water in the glass, Masamune took a painkiller in his hand and immediately swallowed it.

"You've been taking those a lot lately." He jumped at Gingka's comment. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Without turning, Masamune grimaced. He knew his friend meant well, but couldn't he just leave him alone? Whatever was going on with Masamune wasn't Gingka's problem. He could deal with it on his own, without the interfering "leader" of the team.

He forced the dark anger to the back of his head. No use starting an argument that late, especially with a throbbing head. "I'm fine." His tone was more clipped than intended. Masamune internally winced. "I'm tired. Good night."

With that, he threw his blanket over him and pretended to be asleep. No sound. Was Gingka really onto him already? A confrontation at the moment was the last thing he wanted. Then, he heard some shuffling from the other bed. It took all he had not to sigh in relief.

"If you say so." Gingka didn't believe him one bit. But at least he wasn't forcing him to talk. All he had to do was act natural in the morning and make Gingka think he was overanalyzing things. "Good night."

It was going to be a long one.

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In hindsight, Yuu would always say that it wasn't his fault. It wasn't.

"I wonder what order Wang Hu Zhong will appear in." With that one sentence, Madoka started an all-out war the next morning.

"Probably their leader Dashan will be the Commander," Masamune said.

Yuu, who had his elbows planted on the table and his head resting on his knuckles, looked around at each of them curiously. "Hey, now that you mention it, who's _our_ leader?"

No pair of eyes was away from him.

A beat passed and Masamune smirked. "Okay, I'll do it."

Yuu's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the blader in question. Something was off about him, he could feel it. Maybe it was the way his self-satisfied smirk didn't quite reach his eyes or the dark bags under his eyes that were suddenly really prominent. But Masamune was trying to act natural. To put on a show in front of them? He was hiding something, Yuu knew that at first glance.

Well, it wasn't like _he_ was being entirely truthful to his team either, his conscience said.

His brain told it to shut up.

Yuu weighed his options. He could confront Masamune, the latter could deny it easily. Or perhaps not, Yuu decided as he saw Gingka and Tsubasa watching their teammate closely. On the other hand, he could talk to him later and not cause a scene.

He mentally sighed. If Masamune wanted to keep a secret, Yuu supposed he could indulge him a bit.

"I'm not sure about that," Yuu responded to his earlier statement, hoping it didn't come out unnatural.

The smirk slid off from Masamune's face and he scowled. "What are you saying, Substitute?"

It was easier to react to that. Puffing out his cheeks, Yuu glared at him. "_Don't_ call me that!"

Masamune's grin to that was absolutely foul. "But you _are_ the sub. You're the weak link of the team."

Briefly, Yuu had more than half the mind to call Masamune out on his strange behavior. That would wipe the grin off of his face for good. But unfortunately, Yuu was a better friend than that. So he pushed the dark anger at the back of his head.

It came back quicker than expected. Still, Yuu resisted. Outwardly, he let out an annoyed growl. "I am _so_ out of here!" Leaving would be better in the situation, he decided.

A hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Hold up, Yuu." Gingka turned to the rest. "Let's forget about this for now, okay?"

He really wanted to tell Gingka to back off but held his tongue. It wasn't the redhead's fault. Besides, he didn't want to somehow have to come out to everyone.

It was Tsubasa who broke the silence by clearing his throat. "We still have to think of a strategy for the upcoming battle."

"I'll be the Commander!" Masamune declared.

As everyone stared at him, Tsubasa sighed. "You can't decide that by yourself. We're a team. And you'll have to factor in the opponent's moves too."

Suddenly, Yuu was struck by lightning. Metaphorically, of course. A smirk bloomed on his face as the idea rolled around his head. He shrugged off Gingka's hand. "Fine, whatever. But if the first two lose, you won't get a chance to battle _at all_! Then you'll be absolutely no different from a substitute."

He relished the panic that spread on Masamune's facing. That should teach him to poke fun at him.

For his part, the other blader glanced between Gingka and Tsubasa, suddenly jittery. "Y-You guys can't lose, okay?"

Behind Yuu, Gingka sighed. "Masamune, if we both win, you still won't get to battle."

The panic increased. "T-Then, one of you has to win, and one of you has to lose."

Gingka stamped his foot impatiently. "Is that even a real strategy? If you want to make sure you battle, then be the Advance Guard!"

"I'm the Number One Blader!" Masamune exclaimed. "I should battle the leader!"

Madoka cut through the argument with practiced ease. "Do you think that Dashan could actually be the Advance Guard?"

Gingka paused to consider it for a moment. "Winning the first match stops the opponents in their tracks," he said and for a moment, Yuu felt as though he had experience with it before. "Going with the strongest first could be their strategy."

"Or they just want us to think that," Tsubasa said.

But if they went by that logic, then maybe their opponents just wanted them to think that Dashan would be the last to battle. Or that Mei-Mei wouldn't battle at all. Or that maybe it was Chi-Yun who wouldn't battle in the first round. Or maybe they just wanted to confuse them by hiding the third regular on their team.

Yuu felt like banging his head against a wall. If they thought like that, then what was the point of the conversation in the first place?!

It was Masamune who screamed out first. "If we think that much about it, we'll never decide anything!" He suddenly pointed at Gingka. "Gingka, you'll be the Advance Guard. You lose." He then turned to Tsubasa. "Tsubasa will be the Second in Command. You win. And then, I'll finish it."

Yuu could hear Gingka grunt in annoyance but before the redhead could get in a word, he let his own argument known. "Hey, I wanna battle too!"

Masamune rounded on him. "You're the sub!"

Yuu gritted his teeth. No, he would _not_ rat him out. He _wouldn't_ cause a scene. He would definitely _not_ give Masamune the satisfaction of seeing him get angry at his comment.

He began to leave but a hand on his shoulder made him stop once again. "Yuu, wait a sec," Madoka said before addressing the meeting at large. "Can't you guys chill out for a second?! Honestly!"

"It's not _my_ fault," Masamune said.

Gingka glared at him. "It's _all_ your fault."

Geez, they sounded like children.

"No, it's not!"

"It is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

Yuu inched away from Madoka. Her face turning red could not be a good sign. Not at all.

"WILL YOU GUYS GIVE IT A REST?!" All eyes turned to Madoka and Gingka and Masamune blanched. The brunette's blue eyes seemed to have frozen to ice as she glared at them. "This meeting is over! Everyone go cool off!"

Four pairs of eyes widened. Yuu had to say, he hadn't expected Madoka to call off the meeting. And what was more was that she sounded exactly like a fed up leader would. Maybe...

"B-But Madoka-" Gingka began but Madoka cut him off with a look.

She stamped her foot on the ground. "Did you hear me or what?"

Without any complaints, Gingka and Masamune tumbled out of Yuu's sight. The orange-haired boy had to admit, Madoka was scary.

He glanced at Tsubasa, who motioned towards the door. Yuu shrugged and followed him out, trying his best to not disturb their fuming teammate.

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With nothing better to do, Yuu somehow managed to rope Tsubasa into sightseeing. And somehow, it led them to the Great Wall of China again.

"Wow!" Yuu said, running to the edge of the wall. "Can you believe this awesome view?"

Tsubasa followed him at a slower pace. "That's why we came here, you know."

Yuu kept his eyes on the hilly grassland. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

Tsubasa didn't really look at him. "Sure."

Yuu paused, wondering how he should breach the subject. He would have to make it sound like he was concerned and not accusing Masamune of being shifty or something. "Do you think Masamune's hiding something?" he blurted out. Mentally, he winced at how it sounded.

Tsubasa turned his head over his shoulder to look at him. He looked serious, even for Tsubasa. "You think so too, huh?"

Yuu shrugged, now trying not to seem too worried. Whatever it was, it couldn't be a big deal, right? It hadn't seemed that way though. A pang of guilt settled in his stomach for talking about it without Masamune being there, but Yuu wanted to make sure he knew what was wrong before he talked to Masamune. "He seemed a little off today."

"He's hiding something," Tsubasa confirmed. "But I don't know what." Sometimes, he hated how well Tsubasa had come to know him. He could read him like a book!

Yuu finally turned to him, his hand on the stone railing clenching slightly. Tsubasa was better at those type of things. "Do you think we should ask him?"

Tsubasa sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know."

Yuu blinked as the words sunk in. He couldn't help but frown. He hadn't expected Tsubasa to not know what to do. He always seemed to know what to do.

"Why not?" he asked. Talking seemed like a good idea to him. Staying quiet wouldn't do anything, after all.

"Whatever the problem is, it seems to be a new experience for him. Masamune needs to be ready to talk or he'll just react with anger." That seemed like a good argument.

"So, how do we know when he'll be ready?"

"We don't." Huh? "Either the issue will resolve itself, or Masamune will tell us when he's ready."

Yuu's face fell. "So, there's nothing we can do?" He hated the helplessness that settled inside him at the words. Sure, he and Masamune argued, but they were friends! Yuu wanted to do _something_!

"Not right now," Tsubasa said. "Masamune needs to trust us for us to help him. And right now, he might deny there's something wrong or he could get angry or he could refuse to let us help him. He needs to realize that secrets always come out sooner or later."

Yuu's internal alarms blared at the last words. Things came out sooner or later. Did that mean he would have to share his secret too? Yuu hoped not. Whenever people found out, they gave him the pity he didn't want. And Yuu didn't want to deal with it for months.

Besides, it wasn't causing any problems, so why would he need to talk about it?

"We could ask Gingka though," Tsubasa continued, not noticing Yuu's little dilemma. "He knows what to do better in these situations."

Yuu hummed in agreement as he turned to stare at the length of the wall, though he wasn't really focusing until a familiar sight caught his attention. Masamune stood on the railing, facing another blader with his launcher drawn.

"Hey, check that out," Yuu said, trying to get Tsubasa's attention off of their conversation. "It looks like Masamune is right over there."

Tsubasa followed his gaze. "Is he... battling someone?"

The two launched their beys and an explosion immediately ensued. Yuu couldn't hear anyone from the distance, but he got the impression that the crowd of people behind him was cheering.

"Why is he battling _here_? Is that even allowed?" Yuu turned to Tsubasa, who usually had the answers to most of his questions.

Tsubasa shrugged. "No idea."

They turned back to the battle, where Striker chased after the other bey. The bey moved and Striker hit the wall, grazing it as he circled to safety. Yuu narrowed his eyes. He couldn't make out the separate parts from the distance, but something about the bey's previous movement triggered his brain.

Striker moved and charged at the bey. Yuu grinned. That was sure to hit.

His hopes crashed when Striker met the wall. Yuu couldn't help the sound of confusion that escaped him. It had seemed like the attack hit but the other bey didn't seemed bothered at all. It was like Striker went through it.

Masamune and the blader shouted a few things at each other and suddenly started running towards the wall Yuu and Tsubasa were watching from. That would make watching easier.

"Are they out of their minds?" Tsubasa muttered. "They could fall off and break their necks or something."

Yuu turned to Tsubasa, mentally smirking. His next sentence would surely annoy his companion. "Can I try that?"

Tsubasa gave him a look. "No." Yuu opened his mouth but Tsubasa cut him off. "And don't ask again. I mean it."

Yuu pouted in disappointment. "Fine."

They turned back to the battle, where Striker was desperately trying to land a hit on the constantly moving bey. "It looks like Masamune is having a hard time."

"That bey keeps changing it's position while keeping up a great defense," Tsubasa noted. "At the rate this is going, Masamune will have a hard time landing a hit. Especially if he keeps up such a straightforward strategy."

Yuu shrugged as his mind flashed back to something he had observed before. "He'll be fine. I've noticed that Masamune often suddenly changes his plans in the heat of the moment."

From his peripheral vision, he could see one of Tsubasa's eyebrows twitch. "Does he ever think before acting?"

"Don't know. Maybe it's his wild nature. It really makes him unpredictable though."

Meanwhile, the blade in question kept up his failing strategy with matchless persistence. Yuu amended his statement. "Well, sometimes." He would never, ever forgive Masamune for breaking through his special move with such a plain and maniacal move.

Suddenly, Striker disappeared into nothing but green lines and reappeared behind the bey, successfully hitting it. Yuu turned to Tsubasa with a grin. "See?"

However, Tsubasa had his eyes narrowed at the battle. "But an attack of that strength should have done more damage."

Yuu turned and found that the bey was, indeed, not affected at all. His eyes narrowed. One of the initial hits had been the same. Was it the Performance Tip? Or did the bey have a Spin Track like Hyoma's? Or was it the Fusion Wheel?

Yuu could finally hear what they were saying as they drew closer.

"But it didn't do anything," the mystery blader said.

"The next one will finish it," Masamune replied. "Striker, send Virgo flying."

So, it was a Virgo, huh?

Yuu watched as closely as he could as the next attack hit. Virgo seemed to have been hit, but it seemed as though the attack was deflected somehow. "What happened?"

Tsubasa's eyebrows were digging into his eyes. "Virgo's circular Fusion Wheel is great at fending off attacks, but I don't think that's it."

Yuu's eyes narrowed further and he leaning forward, his stomach practically crushed by the wall as he tried to figure out what was going on. He watched as Striker hit Virgo again, specifically it's Spin Track. He caught a glimpse of the Spin Track moving as it pushed Striker aside.

"I get it!" he said. "It's the circular motion."

"Yes." Yuu turned to Tsubasa. "Virgo is moving in a circle and pushing aside Striker's power. That movement is called Tai Chi."

Tai Chi, huh? Was it really possible to use martial arts in beyblade? The idea seemed fun, he had to admit.

"That blader must be really skilled to push aside all of Masamune's power with ease," Tsubasa said.

"Who cares?" Yuu said. "Masamune will beat him into submission!"

After all, Masamune had a lot more tricks up his sleeves. That is, if he didn't get too hotheaded to think about them.

"Striker, move faster." Yuu turned to the battle at Masamune's voice. "Hit it with everything you've got! Go!"

Striker charged forward and even from afar, Yuu could feel the force behind the attack. In terms of raw power, Striker had to be one of the top beys Yuu had ever encountered — not counting L-Drago, of course. But the problem was that Masamune didn't know what to do with that power, unlike, say, Kyoya.

If Leone's strength was like a sharp, cutting wind that could crack even boulders, then Striker's power was like an ocean, untamed and dangerous. It was abundant, but when Masamune used that strength, he let a lot of it go to waste.

If he learned how to control it, how to gather and focus it, Yuu had no doubt that Masamune would end up being the the most powerful member on the team. More than Tsubasa, who focused more on stealth and strategies, more powerful than Gingka, who focused on speed and the basics, and even more than Yuu, who preferred to drain out a bey's stamina and force it to stop.

Yuu jumped out of his thoughts when brunet leaped into the air. "Virgo! Adamantine Hands!"

A golden, female Chinese martial artist erupted from Virgo and took a defensive stance as the green unicorn charged towards it — or was it her? — horn pointed to it like a sword. Virgo pushed aside Striker and the green bey met the wall, the collision sending it soaring in the air.

"So you didn't sleep out," Virgo's blader said. "Maybe you'll have a stadium out instead."

Stadium out? They were battling on a wall!

"Striker, you can't let something like this end it," Masamune said. As if in response, Striker landed on the very edge of the wall and add it back to the horizontal surface. "Yes!"

"That was annoying," his opponent commented.

Wow, Yuu didn't even know the guy and he was getting on his nerves.

"How about attacking instead of just running away?" Masamune shouted.

The blader scoffed. "Please. I'd look totally uncool if I got all uptight about it like you."

"I take it seriously!" Masamune said. "I will never lose to someone like you! You can't have a proper beybattle when your spirit isn't on fire."

"I am so on fire."

"No, you're not!" They really needed to teach Masamune how to identify sarcasm. "Attack me for real."

"Getting serious about beyblade? No way." Yuu could see why this guy annoyed Masamune so much.

"Stop goofing off!" It was weird to hear Masamune say that to someone. "Striker!"

Striker charged forward yet again. Why would Masamune do that again? Was he even thinking? Yuu then spotted the glint in his eyes and knew Masamune had a plan. But wha—?

His eyes widened as lightning struck his brain. For an idiot, Masamune sure had his bouts of genius.

Striker reached Virgo and sidestepped the hand that reached out to deflect it. Yuu recognized the move from the agility training they had done in Koma. Without missing a beat, Striker sent Virgo in the air, charging towards it's landing point. Almost as soon as Virgo landed, Striker threw it aside again.

"What's wrong? Why haven't you finished it yet?"

Yuu jumped and turned to a nearby railing, atop which stood Dashan. His arms were crossed and he was watching Masamune's opponent with impassively, as if everything was going according to some kind of a plan.

The brunet turned to the source of the voice. "What?"

"If it goes on like this, you will lose, Chao Xin."

"I'm not gonna choke," Chao Xin said as he slowed to a stop at the end of the trail. "And let that guy steal my thunder."

Meanwhile, Masamune was already on the move. Striker pushed Virgo towards the wall, making it crash in it. Yuu held on to the stone railing as the wall wobbling just a bit.

A grin made its way to Masamune's face. "Special move! Lightning Sword Flash!"

A thundering Striker charged towards Virgo. It appeared almost a blur at the speed it was going at, and Yuu doubted Virgo could even touch it before the match ended.

Chao Xin apparently had other ideas. "Virgo! Adamantine Hands!"

The move was created for deflecting attacks, so a direct attack wouldn't be effective at all. Unless it was insanely quick and powerful, both of which Striker's special move was. Still, it appeared Masamune was actually thinking for once and didn't take a chance, instead attacking from above.

The small explosion and cloud of dust that followed would have blocked Yuu's vision, had he not had sharp senses from his time on the run. He watched as Striker pushed Virgo into the wall, until the floor gave way and seemed to bury Virgo inside.

Yuu didn't have time to make much sense of it though, for the ensuing explosion was definitely not small. The whole wall shook in the afternoon of the collision. The dust settled just a bit, before the wall in Masamune's side gave way and crumbled, sending Masamune face first into the field nearby.

Suddenly, Tsubasa's earlier words echoed in Yuu's head. Multiple scenarios rushed through his head, each more unpleasant than its precedent. What if Masamune really did break his neck? Or cracked his skull open? Or—?

The possibilities ended when grabbed at the grass, skidding to a stop. Yuu let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as Masamune pushed himself up. Pain flickered in his eyes for about a millisecond before it waned as he reached the destroyed wall. No doubt the anticipation of the outcome overrode all other thoughts.

Virgo was barely spinning on the edge of the fixed floor, but Striker wasn't so lucky. It was lying in the rubble, motionless and definite not moving. It would surely have at least some dirt stuck in there. Yuu winced, imagining Madoka's inevitable lecture.

"No!" Masamune cried when he saw the outcome.

Chao Xin retrieved his bey, staring at Masamune. "You're still getting on my nerves, even when it's over." He turned, holding up his bey for the three spectators to see. "I won, okay? Are you all warm and happy now?"

What? Had Yuu missed something?

Dashan looked unimpressed. "The tournament is the day after tomorrow. Start training hard."

Chao Xin gaped at him. "Say what? We had a deal!"

Deal? Needless to say, Yuu was lost.

"In an official stadium, things would have been very different for you today." Dashan had a point. A real stadium wouldn't crumble. "That is something you, even after getting serious for _just_ a minute,should know best of all."

"Me, serious?" Chao Xin asked as though he didn't look the definition of the word. Suddenly, a smile broke on his face. "Sorry pal, but the words "serious" just isn't in my vocabulary."

Dashan looked at him without saying a word, but Yuu could tell what the intensity in his gaze meant. It appeared that Chao Xin knew it too, because he dropped his careless demeanor for a while and sighed. "Fine, I'll compete. And I'll be serious." He paused but hastened to add to his statement before anyone could speak. "But first, before anything, I have a condition."

Dashan's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What condition?"

Chao Xin smirked. "I'll tell ya later." He turned to Masamune. "Hope you've learned your lesson or I'll have to school you in the tournament."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

It was in the way back to the hotel that any of the three spoke. Masamune fumed silently as he walked through the city with a sullen expression while Yuu and Tsubasa maintained an uneasy silence a few steps behind him. That is, until Yuu couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey, Masamune—"

"Don't talk to me," the sulking teen snapped.

Yuu rolled his eyes. "Who was that guy? How come Dashan knew him? Why were you even battling him on the Great Wall in the first place? What did he mean by a deal?"

Masamune glared at him murderously. Although he must have known that a curious Yuu never shut up, for he sighed in irritation. "He was the Chinese team's third blader."

"What?!" Yuu shouted for the entire street to hear, earning a few looks from the passersby. "And you _lost_ to him?"

Masamune finally turned, glaring with full force. "It wasn't a real battle! If the wall hadn't broken, I would've wiped the floor with him! That guy didn't stand a chance! He just lucky, that's all! In the real battle, I'll beat him into next week. I'll—"

Tsubasa cut his rant short. "He's the Chinese team's third blader, and you showed him your special move?" Masamune froze at the realization his expression clearly stating his sudden want to bang his head against something. But Tsubasa shrugged. "Well, I suppose it's okay. He did the same."

"What did he mean by a deal?" Yuu asked. "And why were you battling there?"

Masamune's countenance morphed into an unbelievable level of anger. "That guy won't beyblade seriously!" They started walking again, at a much slower pace than before. "All that show pony cares about is appearance. So, when I asked him to battle me, he kept saying that I was too serious about it and it too "uncool". Then, Dashan showed up and ordered him to battle, and Chao Xin said that he'd only do it if it was on the wall and that he wouldn't have to battle in the tournament if he won."

His two companions were silent at his tale. Then, Yuu said, "That guy has issues." Why else would someone not want to battle?

That one sentence seemed to quell Masamune's anger. "You can say that again."

Yuu turned to Tsubasa. "What do you think will happen to the wall?"

Tsubasa shrugged. "I guess the WBBA will take care of it." He turned to Masamune, his expression changing to one of concern. "Are you sure you're okay? You took a nasty fall back there."

Masamune shrugged. "Just a small headache. It'll go away."

Yuu frowned. "You've been saying that all week." Was it some sort of an illness or medical condition that Masamune was hiding?

Masamune shrugged wordlessly.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

As soon as they entered the hotel room, Yuu spotted Gingka and Madoka in the middle of some sort of a discussion. Yuu bounced towards them and a cloud of dust had the two coughing. He stopped in his tracks. He had forgotten that they were covered head to foot in dust.

Long story short, when they were beginning to leave, Yuu tripped and fell into the rubble the battle had created. On reflex, he grabbed onto Tsubasa and made him fall in as well. And of course, Masamune had toppled in before.

"What gives, you guys?" Gingka asked as soon as he could stop coughing. "Why are you covered in dust?"

Not wanting a lecture about how destroying the Great Wall of China was irresponsible, Yuu ignored his question and said, "Hey Gingky, Wang Hu Zhong's third blader uses a Virgo. Did you know that?"

"And he uses Tai Chi techniques," Tsubasa added.

Two pairs of inquisitive eyes stared at them. "And how do you know that?" Madoka asked.

"Because Masamune battled him and lost."

Gingka turned to Masamune, who gave rise to another small dust cloud as he sat down. "You _lost_?" the redhead asked, his voice adrip with disbelief.

Masamune opened his mouth to rant as he had before, but a small beep from Madoka's laptop stopped him. "Hold up," the brunette said. "That's a call from the WBBA."

They all gathered to find an angry thirteen year old redhead glaring at them through the screen. "Masamune Kadoya, I'm going to murder you!" Masamune yelped and Yuu didn't blame him because Kotone looked even more furious than Madoka had earlier that day. "Do you have any idea how much paperwork you've cause me?! What on Earth possessed you to destroy the Great Wall of China?!"

Gingka and Madoka gaped at Masamune. "You destroyed the Great Wall of China?" Madoka asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah!" It was Kotone who answered. "And gave me _two years _worth of paperwork. I have half the mind to catch a plane to China and make _you_ do it yourself! Seriously—"

Tsubasa cut in through the rant. Brave man, that guy. "Why are you doing the paperwork? I thought the team is Ryo's responsibility."

Kotone sighed, some of her anger fading a tad. "Apparently, since I've been helping you so much, they just decided to give me anything related to your team."

Madoka raised an eyebrow. "So, you're like our manager or something?"

"Unofficially, yeah."

Great. As if they needed another woman on the team who turned into a devil when mad. Yuu knew better than to say that out loud though.

"The Great Wall was Chao Xin's fault," Masamune said.

Kotone crossed her arms. "Really? How so?"

"_He's_ the one who wanted to battle there! He wouldn't agree otherwise. And how was I supposed to know that it would break like that? It survived centuries!"

Kotone sighed. "Fine, whatever. It doesn't change the fact that _I'm_ the one with the work."

Masamune rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, I'm the one who toppled down the hill."

Gingka and Madoka gaped yet again. "You _what_?" Madoka hissed.

Masamune froze. "Uh... Nothing?"

"You fell off a _mountain_!" Gingka said. "That's not _nothing_!"

"Don't listen to him," Tsubasa said. "It was a really nasty fall."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Madoka asked. "Does anywhere still hurt? Is—?"

"I'm fine, okay?" Masamune snapped, making Madoka pause. He then sighed. "It doesn't hurt anymore." The brunette nodded uncertainly. "And I'm still battling. I'm fighting Chao Xin in the tournament no matter what."

Gingka raised an eyebrow. "Even if you have to be the Advance Guard?"

"Even then! I'm gonna wipe the stadium floor with him!"

Everyone knew better than to challenge that declaration.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

**Right, sorry for the wait. I hope this chapter made up for it. So, additional notes:****– Even though Tsubasa and Yuu knew Chao Xin and his bey's name since the beginning of the battle, I see noway they'd be able to hear from so far, even with their heightened senses.**

**– How come Masamune destroys the Great Wall of China and no one says anything? I mean, it's the Great Wall of China! Come on! You can't just gloss over something like that!**

**– Speaking of glossing over the details, how come Masamune falls _off the Great Wall_, to the _bottom of the hill_ and _neck first_ to boot and not a _single soul _is worried? If one of my friends took a fall like that, I'd be hovering around them all week! It's a wonder he didn't _break_ his neck.**

**– As you may have noticed, this version will have more focus on Kotone than the previous one. Still, she will be a supporting character only. Heck, she won't even have a single scene from her point of view. So, don't worry about Kaleidoscopic being OC centric, because the main plot still revolves around the canon team. However, Kotone will have a major part to play.**

**I'll**** try to show the press conference in the next chapter, but I think I'll just mention it or something. I mean, the pairings aren't going to change. Still, I kind of want to write Yuu vs Dashan now.**


	6. Beginning at Last

**S****orry for the long, unintentional hiatus. College, exams and writer's block combined. I hope this chapter makes up for it.**

**Guest:** True XD.

**Wander:** I'm so glad you like it. I might be able to add in more Naruto reference (even though I don't know much about the series).

o-o-o-o-o

**Chapter 6: Beginning at Last**

o-o-o-o-o

"But I want to battle too!"

"Okay, so we'll go with me, Tsubasa and Yuu, then."

"What?! What about me?"

"Oh yeah, uh..."

Those words were among the last minute preparations as Gan Gan Galaxy headed to their first press conference. Before the argument could escalate though, a beep from Madoka's laptop cut in. Madoka turned her attention to her laptop as everyone gathered around her.

Kotone's excited face showed on the screen. She looked relatively happy, given that it wasn't twelve yet. "Hey guys! So, who're you going with?" Her voice didn't sound sleepy or snappish as it always did before noon. Yuu paid it no mind though. Must have been the excitement.

They all shared awkward looks, not wanting to face the storm that would surely come. "We haven't decided yet," Gingka finally said.

Kotone's smile vanished. "You... You still haven't decided? But the thing could start any second!"

They were aware of that. After all, they were in the waiting room arranged for the team mere moments before they had to appear live. Thinking of live, Yuu remembered the ruckus the media had made of the Great Wall fiasco. Not that they knew it was Masamune's fault, of course. Little did they know, the "unknown cause" couldn't care less.

"We know that," Gingka said.

Kotone sighed. "Whatever. Decide after they reveal their order."

Madoka's brow wrinkled. "Isn't that a little risky though?"

"Do you see any other option? Just going to run this by you, Masamune will battle Chao Xin obviously—"

"Obviously," the green-clad blader repeated. Yuu wasn't complaining though. Masamune had made it clear the previous day.

"—and if Chi Yun battles, Tsubasa should go. You'll be able to match psyche, so it'll be easier for you to think of a strategy against him." Tsubasa nodded mutely. "Gingka, you mentioned that Dashan battled you before, so he knows how you think."

"But if we go by that logic," Yuu interrupted, "then Chao Xin knows how Masamune battles too."

"I know, but we don't have time to listen to another round of whining."

"Hey!"

Yuu couldn't really object to that. Besides, Masamune had a bone to pick with Chao Xin and all of them knew better than to get in his way. When Masamune got fired up, there was no stopping him.

"Yuu, I think you should battle Dashan. If he even battles, that is."

Yuu blinked. "Huh?" He hadn't expected _that_. After it took hours of convincing his teammates to even consider putting him in the lineup, he hadn't thought he would be battling the leader of all people.

Masamune gave the screen a confused look. "Why?"

Kotone raised an eyebrow, most likely at his incredulous tone. "Because Zurafa's rubber wings can decrease the opponent's stamina drastically and Yuu is the best on the team when it comes to drawn out battles. Also, an aggressive strategy wouldn't work very well against a bey like Dashan's. However, Libra can attack without even coming near an opponent, so that makes the rubber feature useless." She shrugged. "Seems like a good choice."

Yuu allowed himself a satisfied smile.

But Masamune wasn't done. "But... He's the _sub_!"

Yuu scowled at him. Kotone gave him a look. "What does _that_ have to do with anything I just said?" She shook her head. "Anyways, we don't have time for this. Gingka, I don't know how Mei-Mei battles on her own, so in case you end going against her, be ready for anything."

Gingka nodded seriously. Yuu didn't doubt that he was thinking of the little battle they had seen on their first day. "I'll be ready," the redhead said.

"Good. Now go, it's about time."

The screen faded to black and Madoka quickly put her laptop away. Just in time too, for one of the WBBA workers showed up. "Gan Gan Galaxy, it's time."

Gingka got up from his seat and grinned at them. "Alright, let's go."

o-o-o-o-o

Press conferences were _boring_. How could people watch and listen to them so much?

First of all, Yuu had to stay put and Tsubasa wouldn't even let him swing his legs. He was getting restless! Secondly, what was it with all the questions? Just grab a ticket and watch. Was that so hard?

"Tsubasa, is it true that you lost to Kyoya in the selection round but he refused his spot on the team?"

Yuu sighed as Tsubasa answered the question with an admirable patience. Honestly, that was supposed to be common knowledge! The silver-haired teen nudged his shin with his leg and Yuu tried to hide his irritation. It was boring!

"Any more questions?" The DJ asked. On receiving no reply, he said, "Very well then. Onto the second order of business. The battle order." He turned to the Chinese team. "Team Wang Hu Zhong, who will go first from your side?"

Dashan replied without missing a beat. "Chao Xin."

"Gan Gan Galaxy?"

"Masamune," Gingka said.

If anyone was surprised by the quick answers, they didn't show it. Dashan turned to them. "And who will you send against Chi Yun?"

The four shared a look. Yuu thought back to Kotone's little speech. Logically, Tsubasa would be a good choice. The aforementioned blader seemed to be thinking the same thing. "I'll battle."

"And I suppose you'll be battling last?" Gingka said.

Dashan smiled. "Indeed."

The redhead sighed, sounding a little disappointed. Dashan raised an eyebrow at him, but Gingka had already turned his attention to Yuu. "Looks like you'll be the Commander then."

Yuu allowed himself to grin as the crowd broke into whispers and murmurs at the declaration. He could pick out the word "substitute" in many conversations but he didn't allow their words to get to him. If he got the chance, he would show everyone that he was not a Blader to be underestimated.

o-o-o-o-o

"That. Was. _Epic_!" were the first words a gleeful Kotone said once they contacted her again. "Did you see the looks on their faces? Priceless!"

The members present — everyone except Masamune — shared a look. Gingka turned to his cousin with a raised eyebrow. "Did something happen?"

Kotone beamed at him from the screen of the TV connected to the laptop. "Well, you've got everyone convinced that you're underestimating your opponents by sending your substitute against their leader."

What? What was so funny about that?

"How's that a good thing?" Yuu asked.

"Because when you beat Dashan, the reactions will be even better." She was crazy and now Yuu had proof of it too.

Yuu crossed his arms. "But if the first two win or lose, I won't get to battle at all."

Kotone sighed, smile vanishing. "While I'm almost certain that Masamune and Tsubasa will win, Wang Hu Zhong is a strong opponent. I don't doubt that they have more tricks in their arsenal than what we've seen." She shook her head. "Anyways, why did you call?"

"How nice of you to finally get to the point," Madoka said. "We were just going through some analysis."

"And you need me because?"

Madoka gave her a look. "You were the one who suggested our order."

"Okay, shoot."

Madoka minimized the video and dragged it to a side. Then, she pulled out a video of Aquario and Lacerta's battle with Pegasus and Striker — that had been an amusing story. Yuu couldn't believe they thought it was an innocent invitation and not a challenge. And to top it off, they had arrived hours early too.

"We have to watch out for the wings on Thermal Lacerta's Spin Track," Madoka said as the said wings attacked Striker on-screen, "because they increase its attack power phenomenally."

"You mentioned that Chao Xin uses Tai Chi," Kotone said. "Do you think Chi Yun has adapted a martial arts technique in beyblade?"

Martial arts in beyblade... Hmm...

"It's possible," Tsubasa replied. He was in his usual posture, arms crossed and back straight. "But Virgo was able to use it because of it's Spin Track, so whatever technique Chi Yun uses, it has to be because of some special feature."

Gingka folded his fingers around his chin. "Do you think aerial attacks will work against Lacerta?"

Yuu pondered the possibility. "Maybe, but Chi Yun isn't like Chao Xin. He doesn't seem like the type to lose his focus, so he must have a plan against a straightforward strategy."

"Good point."

"Hey, I'm sure you'll think of something," Kotone said. "You have time."

Tsubasa glanced at her. "You shouldn't get too complacent."

Kotone rolled her eyes, waving the unopened lollipop in her hand. "I know, you've told me enough times." Tsubasa didn't look very pleased with her casual dismissal. "Anyways, who's next?"

Madoka clicked at something and Zurafa's battle with Pegasus showed on the screen. "Rock Zurafa's strength comes from being able to absorb any attack."

"If this opponent stays in a defensive position, winning will be really hard," Gingka said. "How can we break his defenses?"

Yuu grinned, his mind already working on a plan. "My sand trap can make it unsteady, so that will compromise Zurafa's defenses. And I think Sonic Wave can make the rubber useless."

"Or," Tsubasa said, "the rubber could absorb even that."

"Maybe," Yuu conceded. "But I still have Inferno Blast, remember?" He rubbed his hands together. "This is gonna be so much fun! I can't wait!"

"The next one is a Virgo," Madoka said. "I don't think it will cause any problems."

Yuu turned to her though he was looking at the battle he had witnessed the day before. He recalled how easily Virgo had pushed aside Striker's strength and avoided its attacks. "I don't think so," Yuu said. "Virgo was able to avoid and push aside Striker's attacks. With an Eternal Sharp Performance Tip and an Eternal Defense Spin Track, it appears to be highly customised."

"And coupled with Tai Chi, Chao Xin isn't an opponent you can win against by attacking capriciously," Tsubasa said. "Whoever battles him needs to think things through."

Gingka crossed his arms, frowning. "And we all know Masamune doesn't."

Kotone blinked, examining the room. "Now that you mention it, where _is_ he, anyways?"

Yuu shrugged. "No idea. He just suddenly vanished. I wonder what he's doing."

"Knowing him, he's most likely training," Tsubasa said, getting up from his seat. "That's what we should be doing too."

Kotone nodded and grinned. "Right. Good luck, guys. See ya!" The video screen turned black.

Gingka got up as well, grinning. "Alright, let's get this done with."

o-o-o-o-o

And so, the three bladers found themselves battling in a nearby stadium with Madoka analyzing their beys' conditions to make sure they didn't damage them too much. The area was thankfully secluded so they could battle in peace.

"Go, Libra!"

"Eagle!"

"Pegasus!"

The three beys met at the center of the the stadium, kicking up a dust cloud when they did. The dust settled just in time for them to see their beys land away from each other. They wasted no time and soon collided again.

"Man, I'm so excited!" Yuu said as Libra began to circle around as soon as landing again. "Although, I kind of want to battle Chao Xin too. I mean, I've never battled someone with an Eternal Sharp Performance Tip."

"Don't forget about your real opponent," Tsubasa chided, not taking his eyes off the battle. "If it comes down to it, your battle will decide if we can move on or not."

Typical Tsubasa. Yuu supposed he should have been used to it after living with him for months.

"There's no need to be such a worrywart, Tsubasa. I can handle this."

"Just don't let your guard down."

"Sure thing. But now that I think about it, Gingky has the most experience against an Eternal Defense Spin Track because of Hyoma."

Gingka shrugged. "Maybe, but that doesn't matter. In the end, it's still Masamune who's battling."

Yuu couldn't say anything against that. "Yeah." He then noticed that Gingka's attention wasn't completely on the battle. Yuu smirked. "Libra!"

The green bey charged at Pegasus, catching it off guard. Gingka gritted his teeth. "Hey, that's no fair. You distracted me."

"Don't let your guard down~" Yuu singsonged, breaking into a snicker at the end of the sentence.

"Why you little..."

"Eagle!"

"What?!" The purple bey met Libra, send it to the edge of the stadium. Yuu turned to Tsubasa, who was smirking smugly.

"Don't let your guard down."

o-o-o-o-o

Masamune didn't return that night. They had worried of course but figured he'd return in time fod the match. It helped that he had sent a message. But when the battle had all but started, Yuu wanted to kill him.

As they ran to the stadium after being late because of an unsuccessful search, Yuu had only one thought in mind. He was going to kill Masamune. Just where was he? What was so important that he was willing to miss the match for it? And why in the world had he not contacted yet?

Yuu slowed to a stop when he saw a familiar face grin at him. Masamune stood with his arms akimbo, dirt covering his face. He had obviously been training, the idiot. What if he had been late? Yuu supposed he could take his place or something but that wasn't the point! They were worried!

"You're late," Masamune said as a way of greeting.

Madoka put her hand on her hips, giving him a look. "We had no idea where you were, thank you very much."

However, Gingka didn't seem bothered at all. "Well, he's here now. Let's get going," he said, punching the air in excitement.

"Yeah!"

o-o-o-o-o

Masamune had to suppress his urge to beat Chao Xin up physically. First, the guy acted like he was there just for show, then he went on to comment on his appearance as if that mattered and then he was acting all cocky like he had already won. While the crowd didn't bug him — he was used to worse than booing — it sure didn't help him either.

Still, he calmed down once the battle actually began. The old man of the mountains had said to remain calm and focus on nothing but the battle. Nothing else mattered in the stadium. He had to cool his temper. Like water over stones.

"Striker!"

His bey circled the stadium, gaining speed until it was all but a green blur. Masamune grinned. There was no way the fashion play could avoid an attack that fast.

But his grin vanished when, on collision, nothing happened. The beys sparked against each other, neither of them budging. Something about the bey was different from their last battle, otherwise Virgo would never have withstood an attack like that one.

"What?!"

He heard Chao Xin laugh and gritted his teeth. "Charging head-on against my Poison Virgo. Not a particularly bright move."

Masamune blinked. "_Poison_ Virgo?"

He hadn't paid much attention to his bey's features the previous day — not a smart move in retrospect — but it didn't have the properties of a Poison Fusion Wheel. Masamune squinted at the golden bey and saw that it was, indeed, Poison Virgo.

He could hear his teammates' shock even through the crowd.

"When making a live appearance, you can't just show up in casual wear, dude," his infuriating opponent said. "I mean, come on. Appearance is everything."

Masamune rolled his eyes. "You can't win just by _looking_ good."

Chao Xin shrugged. "Says who?" Masamune's fists clenched in anger. "Anyways, there's more to my Virgo than just looks. It's got the charm too. It'll smash apart anything that stands in my way."

"Whatever," Masamune replied. "No matter who my opponent is, I'll still send them flying. Striker!"

Tsubasa's warning was just a second earlier than Chao Xin's shout. "Virgo! Fierce Lady Flash!"

Virgo more danced than dodged Striker's attack, the green bey hitting the wall instead. Masamune let out an aggravated growl.

"One Hundred Hit Fearsome Splendor!"

Masamune tried to drown out Chao Xin's triumphant laughter, instead trying to focus on getting out of his problem. Virgo kept up the attack as he thought, until something finally hit him.

When did he start _thinking_ during a battle?

Planning and being slow and predictable was Tsubasa's job. It just wasn't the way Masamune battled. A battle was a time to unleash everything one had, every emotion and idea. It wasn't a time to think. That was before a battle.

Masamune blinked at the stadium, jerking out of his mind. His eyes narrowed at what he saw. Considering that Virgo was using a special move, Striker didn't seem all that affected.

"Keep going like that, and you'll just sleep out," Chao Xin gloated, laughing.

Masamune smirked. "Fat chance. Striker!"

Striker suddenly moved, disappearing and reappearing behind Virgo as if it teleported. The green bey collided repeatedly with Virgo. Masamune's smirk widened at Chao Xin's shocked exclamations.

"How'd you like that?"

"But it didn't do anything."

Masamune frowned as his brain registered Chao Xin's words as true. His attacks weren't doing much damage at all. He wasn't really sure if the Poison Fusion Wheel was offensive or defensive, but the latter case seemed to be more probable. Or was it because his attacks weren't strong enough?

No, it had to be something else. Virgo was nothing compared to a boulder.

Huh, that sounded similar to what the old man of the mountains said an awful lot.

_"Even if you smash boulders, a leaf will simply laugh at your silly waste of strength."_

Suddenly, his mind flashed back to a time before the main tournament, even before the boot camp.

_"I'm impressed."_

_Masamune looked up from his training at the unfamiliar voice. Watching the still spinning Striker and broken, wooden target was a girl who seemed no older than twelve or thirteen. Dirt caked her sleeveless pink jacket and the sleeves of her white shirt. Her navy pants were in no better state._

_The__ girl turned to him, her red ponytail swishing behind her, ice blue eyes narrowed and washed in an orange hue under the setting Sun. "But you can do better."_

_Masamune gave her a look. "Excuse me?"_

_She sighed. "Look, your bey has a lot of strength, way too much for you to use completely right now. But it's a bit all over the place, you know what I mean?" Masamune blinked wordlessly and the girl sighed again. "You don't, do you?" She folded her finger to her chin. "How do I explain it?"_

_Masamune watched, bemused, as she mumbled things to herself. Finally, she snapped her fingers. "Right! It's like a sea!"_

_"A sea?"_

_The girl nodded enthusiastically, much like a bobblehead. "Uh huh. A sea. It's, like, huge—" She spread out her arms in emphasis — "and powerful, but also untamed." The good feeling that welled inside him when she started dimmed slightly. "But imagine if you could control all that!"_

_"I can control it just fine," Masamune said._

_"No, you can't." Masamune opened his mouth to argue, but she continued. "You know how to use it, but you don't know how to use it well. When you attack, you don't focus on gathering your strength. You focus on destroying what's in front of you."_

_Masamune opened his mouth but closed it again. The girl laughed, suddenly seeming more like a kid than someone who seemed more experienced than him. "The name's Kotone. I saw you in the qualifiers, Masamune Kadoya. You're pretty strong! But you're no match for me."_

Masamune wasn't sure just how he forgot what he had been working on the whole day before. Honestly, he felt like hitting himself. But it wasn't the time for that.

Striker withdrew from it's charge and took the center of the dish. Closing his eyes, he ignored the murmurs of the audience and his enemy's taunting. It was only a few seconds later that he didn't even need to try anymore. Even if he had only started his training yesterday, it felt completely natural, like a habit.

He could more feel Virgo draw closer than hear it. Masamune knew he didn't need to make a move. Virgo's attack was nothing for his real defense. And surely enough, Striker didn't even budge, unlike Virgo who rebounded back. Chao Xin was nothing if not stubborn. Virgo kept coming back until Striker finally moved, sending it flying.

Masamune smirked. "Now we're talking!"

"That was just a lucky break," Chao Xin said. "Time to end this." But it was Striker who was attacking an almost immobile Virgo. "What? Virgo can't fend it off?"

Not with a broken blade. "Take that!"

Things got heated up after that. It was beyond any excitement Masamune had ever felt during a beybattle. The adrenaline made it hard to fully comprehend everything around him, but Masamune could see Chao Xin's determination winning through Virgo's new disability.

The rest of the battle went by in a blur. One minute, they were continually exchanging blows and the next, they had called it their special moves.

"Lightning Sword Flash!"

"Blue Dragon Whirlwind Sword!"

The next thing Masamune knew was Virgo flying down front the sky, motionless and it of the stadium. It was the cheers of his teammates that actually helped him digest it.

He had won.

He rushed to his celebrating friends, his euphoria at its zenith. Yet, it wasn't him the crowd was cheering for. It was his opponent. His joy ebbed away as he watched everyone appreciate Chao Xin. He was the one who won.

"Guess it doesn't really matter," Chao Xin said with a shrug.

Masamune growled. His hard-earned victory wasn't for nothing. "Yes, it does! _I'm_ the one who won! Why is everyone making such a big deal about _you_?!"

It all vanished from his mind when Gingka pulled him into a headlock, both him and Yuu screaming his ear drums off.

o-o-o-o-o

They all had a surprise waiting for them in the team room, in the form of a redheaded twelve year old. Kotone's pale face beamed at them as they all stared.

"Kotone, what are you doing here?" Gingka asked, a frown working its way to his face. It was no secret that despite her dangerous job, Gingka — just like Ryo — didn't approve his cousin's stupid decisions, like flying to a country without telling anyone.

"Hunting unicorns," his cousin said, rolling her eyes. "I'm surprising you, duh."

Madoka crossed her arms, eyes narrowing at the girl she had come to think of as a younger sister. "Why are you here?"

Kotone paused and gave Masamune a glare. Masamune glared back. "To make sure nothing stupid happens again, like destroying the Great Wall of China for example."

Masamune groaned. "Will you give it a rest already?"

It wasn't Kotone who replied. "She won't," Tsubasa said.

"Not a chance," Yuu added.

"You'll just have to deal with it," Madoka said.

"Yeah, for a few months," Gingka finished.

A few months? Was this girl for real? Kotone grinned, looking pretty proud of herself.

"None of us has ever done something this big," Yuu said, "so we can't help you much. That's why I'm permanently staying out of this."

Madoka shook her head. "Anyways, when did you get here?"

"Here as in, China or the room? Because if it's the second one, then I entered just as you guys ran out."

Gingka crossed his arms. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Kotone rolled her eyes. "Because that's exactly how a surprise goes."

"So, you saw the match?" Yuu asked.

"'Course I did. I'd be an irresponsible manager if I didn't." She glanced at Masamune, this time without venom. "You were pretty good."

Masamune scoffed. "Pretty good? I was _awesome_."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Yeah, after being beaten around, sure." Masamune bristled at her words but Kotone had already moved on. "So, what gave you the wake up call?"

Masamune didn't want to admit that it was because of her. So, instead he said, "What's it to you?"

"Hey, I was just asking! There's no need to be so rude, you know!"

"It's none of your business, okay?"

"Oh, come on. It can't be _that_ personal. Maybe you just ended up lucky and don't want to admit it."

"Hey, I'm not lucky!" Masamune paused. "Actually, I am, but that was because of my strength, not my luck."

Kotone snorted. "Yeah, keep dreaming."

The rest of the team exchanged glances. That would take a while. They supposed they should get used to it though. It didn't seem like the two would stop any time soon.


	7. Thickening Shadows

**Guest: **

Wow, what a coincidence XD.

**G****uest:** Sure, I'll try. Thanks.

**Wander:** Thanks for understanding. They're going to get even more sparse now because of evening classes.

**yaoiprincess101:** Thanks! I'm really glad you like it. I'm not a fan of reading OC stories either which is a bit hypocritical of me, I guess. Thanks again for the dedication with which you read my stories.

**Chapter 7: Thickening Shadows**

Half an hour before his match, Tsubasa found himself on one of the terraces of the stadium building. In the aftermath of Masamune's victory, his teammates were louder than ever before and Tsubasa wanted to focus solely on the battle ahead.

Gazing at the sky, he recollected what he knew about his opponent. "So, my opponent is Chi Yun. He's different from Chao Xin." Madoka's words ran through his head. "His fighting style appears to be conservative, so I'll have to attack with timing and precision."

Tsubasa had battled many people before and Chi Yun's fighting style was nothing new to him. Forms based on martial arts aside, he was just another blader. "The wings on Thermal Lacerta's Spin Track are a threat," Tsubasa mused, "but he should be an easy opponent for me to beat."

From what he could remember of Kotone's data compilation, Wang Hu Zhong was pretty much an all-rounder in statistics. The members were excellent at team battles but could also hold their own in a single battle. Each of the members — with the exception of Chao Xin — had trained at the temple from a young age, so Tsubasa should expect refined moves and solid formations, with little to no openings.

Still, as long as he remained calm and thought things through, he could figure a way out of whatever Chi Yun tried against him. That was how Tsubasa had always battled.

Until that battle against Kyoya.

His mind flashed back to what had happened in the battle, to what had possessed him. Tsubasa had never lost control like that before, not even in the battle against Ryuuga. He wasn't sure what it was, but it had been... unsettling, for a lack of better words.

_**"Don't count me out!" **_he remembered shouting as the events replayed in his head. He remembered losing control and shouting and going berserk until Eagle's screech—

Tsubasa's eyes shot open and he stared at the empty sky, breathing heavily. Slowly, his mind caught up and he felt a small pain in his palms. As if programmed rather than consciously doing so, he unclenched his hands, staring at the already fading crescent shaped marks on it.

"Just my imagination, huh?" he muttered. He would have to work on that. He couldn't afford to lose it in a battle. Tsubasa looked around, hoping his teammates hadn't come in search of him and seen that. That would have been embarrassing.

No one. Good.

"Tsubasa?" Or not. Tsubasa turned, coming face to face with his pink-obsessed junior. For once, the sleeves of her white shirt were not folded to the elbows and her hands were half buried in them. One of them fiddled with a golden button that had come off of her sleeveless, light pink jacket. "Is something wrong?"

Tsubasa stuffed his hands in his pockets. "No. It's fine."

Given her narrowed eyes and skeptical look, Kotone didn't believe him. Great. Holding her arms akimbo, the redhead scowled. "You can't fool me. Quit lying."

Something at the back of Tsubasa's head said that he needed to talk about it but Tsubasa pushed it back. It was his problem. He could deal with it on his own. No need to get others involved. "I have a battle soon. I need to focus on that, just like you should too."

He walked past the scowling girl without giving her another glance, ignoring her irritated calls. He needed to focus or he'd never win.

o-o-o-o

Gingka gripped the railing tightly, trying to reign in his apprehension as he watched Eagle and Lacerta collide in the center of the stadium with a blast. He could feel the force of the immediate attacks even at the sidelines.

As soon as the collision ended, Lacerta sped to the middle while Eagle circled and without missing a beat, Chi Yun called, "Solid Iron Wall!"

The match paused as Tsubasa and Chi Yun sized up their opponents. Masamune's eyebrows furrowed. "What's Chi Yun doing? He's just standing around."

"He's crafty," Madoka said. "He's restricting his opponent's moves. As long as Lacerta remains in a defensive stance, Eagle can do nothing but circle around and decide when to attack."

Kotone turned to Madoka, eyebrows furrowed in the same way Masamune's were. "So, what's the problem? He just has to attack, right? I mean, it's not like standing around would do anything."

"Chi Yun's smarter than that," Yuu replied, eyes still on the battle. "He's baiting Tsubasa into a trap and Tsubasa has no choice but to risk it. That way, Chi Yun's actually pulling Tsubasa out of his comfort zone."

Gingka's apprehension grew. Tsubasa's battle style relied a lot on being calm and in control, and taking that away would certainly give Chi Yun a huge edge. It wasn't like Masamune's battle with Chao Xin, because the green-clad blader was practically a master at improvising. Tsubasa was different and that made the novice leader worry.

Meanwhile, Eagle had started attacking futilely but Lacerta dominated their clashes. Suddenly, to Gingka's surprise, Tsubasa changed tactics and Eagle sped around Lacerta at a speed that made it seem nothing more than a blur. Then, it charged at Lacerta as Tsubasa shouted, "Now! Eagle! Metal Wing Smash!"

Gingka grinned as the purple blur shot for the middle. Finally, they could get the upper hand.

As with all the previous moves, Chi Yun saw it coming. "Thunder Sword Waltz!" Lacerta neatly sidestepped — side-spun? — the charge and Eagle smashed against the wall. Gingka gritted his teeth. Not good.

"Piercing Great Strike!"

Eagle had barely regained it's balance before Lacerta slammed into it once again, not relenting until it sent Eagle flying. As he watched Eagle soar, the dread that had begun piling in Gingka's stomach vanished and he grinned. Eagle was a champion in the sky. From the corners of his eyes, Gingka could see Kotone smirk and Yuu and Madoka grin.

Tsubasa mirrored his grin. "Just what I was waiting for. Eagle! Diving Crush!"

Masamune cheered as the announcer made sure everyone was in the same page. Their hopes were shot down once again as Chi Yun called, "Tempestuous Whirlwind Sword!"

Lacerta leaped into the air and struck Eagle down. The scene reminded Gingka of a bird being shot down from the sky. Eagle crashed into the stadium hard enough to kick up a cloud of dust.

Gingka gaped. "H—He predicted this far?"

Kotone clicked her tongue. "That's Tsubasa's problem. He's too by the book."

No one replied. Of course, they already knew that. Masamune and Yuu were particularly expressive about it as they were the complete opposite. Yuu had enough flexibility to counter unexpected moves. He even accepted them as a challenge. Masamune, in the other hand, never thought much at all. With him, it was more of a battle of improvisation.

Gingka had noticed it as well, but never saw the need to address it. Tsubasa was a completely different person from him so it wasn't as if Gingka understood his thought process that much. Besides, if the style worked for Tsubasa, who was he to judge?

His train of thoughts broke off as Eagle started an aerial barrage on Lacerta. Gingka cheered.

It was all for naught though, for Lacerta easily deflected the final strike, sending the purple bey tumbling on the stadium. Gingka heard Da Shan call from the stands and tell Chi Yun to stand back but Chi Yun ignored him. Lacerta once again pushed Eagle to the edge.

"I don't get it," Madoka said. "Eagle should be putting up more of a fight than this."

"He can't." They all turned to Yuu. "It's really like Tsubasa. He gets so focused on pre-planned techniques that whenever something unexpected shows up, he needs a few moments to think but Chi Yun isn't giving him a second. Also, Tsubasa's plans are usually so rigid that they need to be followed to the letter. Right now, he's too preoccupied thinking to remember his own strength."

It went on for a while. Eagle was completely defenseless against Lacerta as the latter relentlessly attacked. Gingka couldn't hear what Chi Yun was saying, but he could see his lips move.

Then, something weird happened. Tsubasa clutched his head and screamed something at Chi Yun, although the sounds of the battle drowned the words.

"This is bad." Gingka turned to Madoka, who as watching her laptop in alarm. "If Eagle keeps taking these attacks, it will be ruined." As if to reinforce her point, the screen went red.

Kotone and Yuu gasped, the former's face completely white. Gingka grimaced. His cousin hated the prospect of having a bey badly damaged, especially after Ryuuga left her Wolf in ruins when Doji attacked.

"It's enough, Tsubasa!" Masamune called. "We already _have_ a win. Don't push yourself!" Gingka had to agree with him. There was no need to continue like this. Sometimes, retreat was the best option.

Lacerta kept trying to drill Eagle in the ground. Tsubasa didn't respond. He seemed to have zoned out. Suddenly, a sphere of darkness formed around Eagle and kept growing.**_ "I want to win. I will _win_."_** Tsubasa seemed to be talking to himself.

The darkness formed a sort of a wall and a pair of red eyes formed it, glowing eerily. It _jumped_ upwards and came crashing down on Tsubasa, engulfing the silver-haired teen. Gingka's grip on the railing tightened as Tsubasa let out a scream of pain and fear.

It seemed familiar. Gingka had seen it before, but—

No, it was impossible.

Eagle pushed Lacerta off and a wave of darkness swept across the arena. Gingka heard Kotone gasp and he knew without even looking that the thirteen year old was afraid.

Chi Yun called out a special move but it was Eagle who won the clash. The purple bey pushed Lacerta into the stadium floor hard enough to tear the first layer off. The tables had turned but it was far from comforting.

"This... This isn't like Tsubasa at all," Gingka heard Yuu say. Tsubasa laughed sadistically as Lacerta tried in vain to push Eagle off. "He's completely lost it."

As much as Gingka tried to deny it, he could clearly see Ryuuga in Tsubasa's place, tearing down Storm Pegasus and with it, the sanctuary hidden on the mountain.

Feeling some pressure off his hand, he glanced at it to see Kotone grip it tightly, eyes clenched shut. It was times like this that reminded him that his cousin was still a kid, barely a teen. He held her hand the way he would when she was a scared four year old who had just come out of shock.

The battle raged on but something had to give way. It seemed Tsubasa got what he was trying for. The collision gave a huge explosion. Gingka could feel the force of it pushing him back.

A purple blur hit a nearby pillar and Eagle spun on it for a fleeting moment before giving in to gravity and falling on the ground, motionless. The stunned crowd watched with bated breath, half expecting the bey to spring into activity fuelled by the darkness once again.

When it didn't, the crowd burst into applause, elated at the victory the Chinese team had won. Gingka barely heard it. His ears were still buzzing and his heart thudded inside his chest. It was when Tsubasa collapsed that he found himself able to move again.

The redhead rushed to the stadium, the rest of the team in tow, and barely caught their friend before he could fall.


	8. The Last Line of Defense

**Guest:**Yeah, that kind of bugged me too when I saw it the first time around. Like, your teammate just went berserk and you're like, "Oh, it's fine, it's because he just lost."

**Wander:** Thanks! I'm glad you like it this much. Yup, poor Tsubasa indeed.

**BTW, I changed Yuu's age to seven again.** **I also changed the first chapter so please check it out.**

o-o-o-o

**Chapter 8: The Last Line of Defense**

The wait for Tsubasa to wake up felt like hours. It was the longest Yuu had to wait for anything. Masamune and Kotone paced the room and Gingka frowned at the ground. Madoka kept biting her nails. Yuu tried to focus on the tapping, only to realize that it was him drumming his fingers against the window pane.

Meanwhile, Tsubasa remained unconscious in the team room.

Distantly, Yuu could hear the crowd's uproar and a hollow settled in his stomach. Everything was up to him now. And Chi Yun had wiped the floor with Tsubasa until the silver-haired teen cracked and he wasn't even the leader. That was Da Shan, Yuu's opponent. And Tsubasa had yet to wake up.

Suddenly, Yuu didn't feel like battling anymore. There was no way he could focus until he knew Tsubasa was alright. The previous battle replayed in his head. What had happened? He had never seen Tsubasa lose control like that, not even in the battle against Ryuuga. It was...

It was more like Ryuuga in the finals of the Battle Bladers than the Tsubasa Yuu knew. But how—?

A groan broke his train of thought and Yuu jumped. He turned to find Tsubasa attempting to sit up and Kotone rush to help him. "Wha—What happened?"

Masamune stood over him with his arms akimbo, frowning. "You're the one who should be telling us that. You went crazy out there!" Tsubasa tensed and Yuu's eyes narrowed as he tried to read his older teammate but Masamune seemed not to notice. "It was really freaky, especially when you were laughing like a maniac, and—"

Tsubasa lowered his head, guilty. Yuu's fists clenched and he wished Masamune would stop talking. He knew the green-clad blader was worried but his foot was in his mouth at the moment.

"Masamune," Madoka said before he could, interrupting his tirade with practiced ease.

As per the norm, Masamune turned to her in confusion. "What?" Madoka silently pointed to the subject of their worries and Masamune fell quiet.

Silence reigned until Tsubasa broke it. "I'm sorry, everyone."

Madoka responded a bit too hurriedly, waving her arms out in an obviously fake attempt at seeming at ease. "I-it's okay. You did your best out there. Sure, it was a little freaky when you went berserk and all, but—"

Tsubasa sighed ruefully. Kotone shot daggers at the brunette and said in a warning tone, "Madoka." It was unnecessary though, seeing as Madoka had already felt silent.

"Tsubasa, are you alright?" Gingka asked suddenly. Those were the first words he had said since the battle, after he had clamed down a panicked and slightly enraged Masamune.

"Huh?"

Kotone rolled her eyes. "What do you mean by "huh"? How many things can that mean, exactly?"

"Oh, uh, I'm fine. It's nothing you need to worry about."

The rest shared skeptical looks but no one wanted to push it. Yuu decided to file away his questions and observations for later. Still, that things about Ryuuga... No, it was stupid. Tsubasa and Ryuuga were two very different people. Yuu was just overthinking it.

Right?

Kotone sighed, pulling Yuu out of his reverie. "Well, looks like it's all up to you, kid."

Yuu turned to her. What was she talking about? "Huh?"

Masamune gave him an impatient look. "Don't "huh" us. It's your battle next. Do you even have a plan?" The rest turned to him as well, waiting for his response with anticipation.

Yuu shrugged. "I was thinking I should use Sonic Buster and see where that takes things. It should catch him off guard at least."

Gingka frowned. "Be careful. Wang Hu Zhong always has plan."

Yuu waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah." He didn't care the slightest bit. If anything, the discussion was starting to annoy him. What was he, five? He could handle it.

o-o-o-o

The battle couldn't have begun sooner, in Gingka's opinion. Sure, the beys clashed at the center not even a second after the launch but Gingka just wanted it to end. His grip on the railing tightened as he watched Libra being pushed back from the sidelines. Da Shan didn't look like he was struggling.

Honestly, he knew he should have more faith in Yuu. The kid was good and he had beaten even Gingka once more. But even the Battle Bladers paled in comparison to the World Championships. How would Yuu fare against the world?

To his credit, Yuu didn't seem even a tad fazed. If anything, it seemed as if he had been expecting it.

"Libra! Attack again!"

From the corner of his eyes, Gingka could see Madoka frown. "Yuu, be careful! Zurafa's rubber wings—!"

That broke Yuu's composure more than any strong attack could. He turned back to snap at her but Gingka was too busy slapping his face to hear his words. Did he seriously look away from his battle?

"It's no use," Da Shan said to Libra's relentless but also useless attacks. Yuu turned just in time to see all the nothing it did.

Still, Yuu smirked and Da Shan's confident demeanor faltered. "As expected, Zurafa's defense is high." Gingka blinked. Had he been studying Zurafa? "But Libra's got more than just that."

Libra moved away and began to glow. A high pitched humming filled the stadium as Libra glowed, but it wasn't as bad as Inferno Blast. As expected, the ground beneath the beys turned into a miniature desert. Zurafa's movement suffered and the yellow bey started to sink into the sand.

"Ha! Take that!" Yuu said.

Gingka wasn't as happy. Da Shan didn't seem all that concerned. Had he expected it?

"Rock Zurafa! Crushing Blast!"

What?

There was only a brief wind before Zurafa showed up but it was enough to blow the sand away. Zurafa let out a stream of fire from its mouth towards Libra, drowning the bey in a sea of fire. Zurafa slammed against Libra and the bey sparked against the ground, all sense of balance lost.

Gingka gritted his teeth. Sonic Buster had been the only part of Yuu's plan. Still, he knew Libra wasn't out yet. Yuu was just toying with Da Shan at the moment; Gingka knew that from experience.

Da Shan smirked as he watched Libra spinning like a bottle in Truth and Dare. Poor guy had no idea how Savage Yuu could be.

"That should finish it!" Gingka heard Chao Xin say.

Yuu must have heard it too, for he smirked and said, "I don't think so." Da Shan's smirk vanished and Yuu gave him a blithe grin, looking the picture of innocence. He could make a good actor. "It's not my bedtime yet!" As he said that, Libra straightened itself with now problem, spinning perfectly.

"What?!"

"I know, right?" Gingka called out to Da Shan, who turned to him in bemusement. "It's annoying when he does that!"

Yuu laughed, as if mocking them. The little rascal.

Masamune elbowed the redhead. "Hey, don't fraternize with the enemy," he said in a much lower tone. His eyes were not accusatory though and Gingka could tell he didn't really mean it.

Clashes brought Gingka back to the stadium, where Zurafa had cornered Libra and was delivering strong but consistent attacks. Yuu blinked and Gingka knew he hadn't seen it coming.

"Get out of there, Libra!"

Using its Eternal Sharp Performance Tip, Libra leaned away from an attack — which would make a good moment to put in a movie in slow motion — and raced away. As Yuu sighed in relief, Masamune berated him. "What's wrong with you? Get your head in the game and keep it there!"

Yuu spun around and shouted, "I would if you quit bugging me!"

Gingka slapped his face again and Kotone yelled, "What the hell did you turn around for?! Keep your eyes on the battle, damnit!"

Yuu blinked and turned back, finding Libra under attack once again. In a lower voice, Kotone muttered, "Idiot." And honestly, Gingka couldn't help but agree.

"Libra! Sonic Shield!"

Zurafa was thrown back as soon as it collided with the green dome that appeared around Libra. Da Shan gritted his teeth and Gingka breathed a sigh of relief. At least Yuu had good reflexes. Zurafa circled the dome like a predator cornering its pretty but Libra seemed to have no intentions of leaving the shield's protection.

Honestly, if Yuu could manage both moves at once, Inferno Blast could have ended the battle easily. Gingka made a mental note to suggest it later.

Meanwhile, Da Shan seemed to have something else on his mind. "Why Libra isn't affected by Zurafa's attacks?"

"Because when it comes to stamina," Yuu said, now standing on one foot and leaning forward, "no one can beat Libra." He then went back to standing on two feet. "And now, Libra! Sonic Buster!"

Again? Zurafa had broken through it once before. Still, Gingka knew through experience that Yuu was as stubborn as they got, and that he always had a plan. Maybe not always a good one, but a plan nonetheless.

"This move again? Rock Zurafa! Storm—"

"Libra! Inferno Blast!"

Before the move even began, Gingka already covered his ears. How Yuu ever got used to it, he'd never know.

The pillar raced to the sky faster than Gingka had ever seen before, and in a matter of seconds, Zurafa was being pulled in. The sand trap only increased its speed as it moved towards its doom. Gingka grinned. The battle was theirs.

"That should do it!" Masamune said. "Awesome job, Yuu!"

"It's not over yet," Tsubasa said and they all turned to quizzically. Tsubasa was watching the battle with narrow, suspicious eyes, as though Zurafa had stolen something and was hiding it. "With all the research the Chinese team did on us, I doubt they didn't figure out a way to counter our special moves."

Gingka blinked. Now that Tsubasa mentioned it, Chao Xin had known how to counter Masamune's wild battle style and Chi Yun had been ready for Tsubasa's every move, as if it was nothing new to him. And Wang Hu Zhong had seen Yuu battle in person not once but twice. Suddenly, Gingka wasn't so sure they could win that easily.

"Zurafa! Crushing Blast!"

A glowing Zurafa charged towards the pillar but Yuu seemed completely unconcerned. "That may have worked when Masamune did it, but I won't make the same mistake twice! Libra!"

Just as Zurafa collided with the pillar, it seemed to change into a glowing dome, much larger than Sonic Shield. Gingka's hold on his ears tightened as the humming became sharper. Still, he gaped and he was sure he wasn't the only one.

"How...?" Masamune trailed off, wide-eyed.

"Interesting," Madoka said. They turned to find her already on her laptop, typing at the speed of light. "Yuu somehow changed the shape of his special move."

"We can see that, but how?" Masamune asked.

Madoka tilted her head, staring at the screen uncomprehendingly. "I don't know."

"Still," Tsubasa said, arms crossed. "It seems to have increased Libra's defense." It was true. Zurafa's special move didn't even make a dent on Libra's new Inferno Blast.

"But...?" Kotone said, looking at her senior with a gaze that implored him to continue.

"I wonder how long he can keep it up."

It was slow but Gingka could see the progress Zurafa was making. Slowly, the yellow bey was advancing to the center where Libra spun. Also, the agitated look on Yuu's face was a dead giveaway.

Da Shan had an appraising look. "To use an incomplete move so efficiently... I'm impressed. However, I have my own reasons to win. Beylin Temple's four thousand years old legacy will not be tarnished."

Da Shan's resolve seemed to strengthen Zurafa and the bey's progress rate increased. Yuu gritted his teeth but there wasn't much he could do in his position except sitting tight and hoping Libra could hold out. Gingka's grip on the railing tightened again. Come on, he prayed in his head, please hold out.

But it was no use. Zurafa reduced the magnificent dome into nothing but green glitter and then proceeded to trash Libra. Gingka looked to Yuu for another move but the seven year old was frozen, staring at the beys with wide eyes which had a shadow Gingka didn't like.

"Come on, Yuu!" Masamune called. "You have to do something!"

"I... I..." Yuu, it seemed, couldn't articulate a response. Gingka gritted his teeth. Now the pressure kicked in, of all times.

"I've never seen him act like this," Kotone murmured. "What's going on?"

"It's the shock of seeing Libra pushed so far into a corner," Tsubasa said. "Even in the Battle Bladers, the match never got this one-sided. What I'm guessing is that the last time this happened was when Yuu ran away from the Dark Nebula."

Gingka remembered that day as though it was yesterday. Libra had been in such a horrible shape and Yuu had been so injured, he had collapsed at the first sign of safety. Did Yuu still have flashbacks of that battle? He hadn't seemed all that affected back then, but now that Gingka thought about it, maybe he didn't notice because he was so preoccupied with defeating Ryuuga.

Gingka knew Hyoma and Kenta had had a few bad moments because of their battles with Reiji, sometimes nightmares and for a while after the tournament, freezing up whenever the battle went too far. But Gingka had never attributed the with Yuu, who hadn't shown a single sign of trauma.

Just like his guilt.

Gingka made a mental note to talk to him later. Right now, he had something else to say.

"Looks like victory will be ours," Da Shan said as Zurafa trashed Libra. Yuu didn't respond, nor did he move, as if made of stone.

"Yuu!" Gingka called and the kid finally responded. He turned around and Gingka saw relief mix in with the already present fear. Suddenly, Gingka wanted to beat Reiji up. Still, he pushed the dark anger to the back of his head and continued, "What do you think you're doing out there? You were one of the Dark Nebula's best Bladers, so act like it!"

Okay, so maybe he shouldn't have mentioned the Dark Nebula, but Yuu didn't seemed to react negatively. If anything, he seemed shocked at the reminder. "There's a reason you've come this far, and you've gotten through rougher spots than this to get here. Where's the bey genius I fought in the Battle Bladers?"

Gingka paused to let his words sink in. Slowly but surely, Yuu's shocked expression morphed into a small but heartfelt smile. "Gingky..."

Yuu turned back to the battle, now once again full of confidence. "He's right, we've gone through worse and still made it here. You know what, Libra? This is nothing compared to Ryuuga or Reiji. So let's not give up, okay?"

As Zurafa moved in for an attack yet again, Libra leaned away from it. Da Shan watched with a mix of shock and awe while You grinned.

"Libra! Sonic Wave!" A green blast shot Zurafa into the sky and Yuu punched the air in celebration. "Alright! Libra! Inferno Blast!"

As the green pillar shot to the sky once more, Da Shan said, "I won't go down that easily. Rock Zurafa! Crushing Blast!"

The attacks collided in an explosion of light and Gingka couldn't tell if he should save himself from blindness of deafness. In the end, he decided half of both and covered his eyes with an arm and one ear with his hand.

The explosion cleared and Gingka blinked to adjust to the normal light, only to find Zurafa motionless in the center with Libra hovering around it, wobbling but spinning.

Elated, Yuu recalled Libra and whooped in joy as they all rushed forward to congratulate him. Their celebrations only broke once the crowd burst into applause — unlike the booing Gingka had expected from a home crowd. What really made it all feel worth it was seeing Wang Hu Zhong join in.

They had conquered China.

o-o-o-o

Later that night, Gingka walked out of his room to get a glass of water. He hated it when he had to wake up in the middle of the night and bump into things just to get something to drink. Blinking to clear his sleepy vision, Gingka reached out to turn on the light, only to realize that it was already on.

Now much more awake, Gingka glanced around to find Kotone wearing headphones, staring at her tablet's screen with a pallid face.

Gingka walked towards her. "Kotone?" She jumped, paused whatever it was and turned to him. "What are you doing?"

She gave him an impatient look. "Having a freaking party. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Watching a horror movie?" That earned him a cushion to the face. Gingka caught it before it could rebound to the ground so he wouldn't have to bend to get it. "Seriously, what are you doing?"

Kotone sighed and showed him the screen of the sacred tablet only she could touch. Gingka was met with the Gideon paused where L-Drago was devouring Ryuuga. No wonder she looked sick.

"Why are you watching that?"

Kotone's eyes shifted around them, as if looking for prying ears. "Didn't you notice something when Tsubasa went berserk in that match?"

That sombred him faster than anything could. "Do you think the Dark Power is still around? I mean, when I defeated Ryuuga, it seemed to have vanished. And if it's still around, I'd guess Ryuuga is trying to control it, if he hasn't already." If there was anyone who could do it, it was Ryuuga.

Kotone nodded. "True. None of the legends ever mentioned the Dark Power outside of L-Drago, and we know Eagle never had anything like that. Otherwise, Tsubasa would be a deranged stick in the mud instead of an ordinary stick in the mud. Ever heard of it transferring? Like a disease or something?"

Gingka shook his head. "The stories never mentioned anything like that." Then again, Gingka supposed none of the adults in the village would tell children that an ancient power could mind control, devour and feed off of people like a parasite. "Dad or Hokuto might know more about it. Get some sleep. We'll talk to Dad later."

Kotone yawned, as if on cue. "If you say so."


	9. The Knight in Arabia

**Guest:**

Yup, Yuu just loves trolling the rest.

**Wander:** Me too. I'm glad you liked the chapter — and my OC. Honestly, same. I can never forgive Reiji for that. And yes, exactly! The authorities _never_ get involved. What's the deal with that?

**Jayda15:** I'm glad you liked it. And I'm flattered that you love my stories so much. Aww, that's really sweet of you. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Thanks!

**pentafish:** Thanks! I'm glad you like it. Honestly, Kaleidoscopic is just me making sense of the canon. Yuu is my favorite too — tied with Masamune for the first place.

o-o-o-o

**Chapter 9: The Knight in Arabia**

Soon after the first round of the World Championships, the team found themselves on the way to Arabia. It wasn't for a match of their own but to watch a different match. And besides, Madoka had already laid down the law. No more battling until she completely fixed their beys.

Of course, that had elicited several complaints and Madoka had had to confiscate Gingka and Kotone's beys as well for damage control and to avoid having more work thrust on her. She had actually managed to get some of it done in the plane which was close to a miracle considering how she, Tsubasa and even Gingka had to break squabbles between the other three, along with putting a stop to their other shenanigans.

Seriously, who tried to settle an argument with a bey battle in an airplane? She had expected better from at least Kotone, who was practically a cop, but no such luck. If anything, Kotone was more often than not the instigator for these competitions.

Still, Eagle was almost done by the time the food arrived and Madoka decided to take a break. The good thing was that her teammates had finally decided to behave according to their ages.

"You know, this airplane food is better than I thought it would be," Kotone commented after swallowing. Thankfully, table manners were the one thing she didn't have in common with the boys.

"We need to play close attention to the battle between Excalibur and Desert Blaze," Tsubasa said. "Either one of them could be our opponents."

"Both teams have some really high stats," Madoka said. "It'll be an interesting match, that's for sure."

"But," Kotone said from her seat next to Gingka, "from what I remember, Excalibur is, like, crazy strong. They outclass more than half the teams in the A-Block."

Seated directly behind her, Yuu said, "They're that strong?"

"Maybe," Gingka said. "But Desert Blaze could have some tricks up their sleeves. We'd better not underestimate them."

Kotone shrugged. "True, but my money's still with Excalibur." She turned around to face Masamune, who had the window seat in the row behind them. "Hey, wanna make a bet? Ten yen for Excalibur's win."

"Kotone!" Madoka said, swatting her arm.

It was times like this when she wondered just how Kotone could be a special agent with that attitude. The redhead had a devil-may-care nature that was surprising given her career and the fact that she got a case as dangerous as the Dark Nebula one. No wonder Tsubasa had been exasperated when the rest of them met her for the first time during the Battle Bladers.

"You're on," Masamune said and the bet was sealed. Madoka sighed at them. For two people who fought like cats and dogs, they sure could get carried away when they actually agreed on something.

o-o-o-o

It took a few more hours for them to land in Arabia. Madoka stretched once they were out of the crowded airport — the Championships made people travel a lot it seemed. Her body felt kind of sore after the long ride.

Meanwhile, Masamune was fanning his face and made a comment about the heat. Of course he felt like that. He was wearing a hood in a desert for crying out loud.

_"Finally, the long awaited Beyblade World Championships!"_ Madoka raised her head to find a huge screen attached to a building, which showed three people wearing matching clothes. _"Our representatives, Team Desert Blaze, will finally have their first round battle tonight!"_

The video didn't offer much information other than the names and appearances of the bladers and the location of the battle. Still, it implied a lot of skill and stated that they trained in the desert. From what Yuu had them, before Doji had found him, he trained in a desert as well which was partly why he was a powerhouse, so Madoka was sure Desert Blaze had to be at least pretty skilled.

"They seem like a pretty strong team," Tsubasa commented.

Some of the nearby people turned to face them with annoyed looks, as if Tsubasa had said something rude. "What do you mean "pretty strong"?" one said. "Desert Blaze is the strongest by far. Gasur and the others are definitely going to become Number One."

"You must be confused," Masamune said, walking to the front of the group.

Madoka internally groaned. Of all time Masamune could have chosen to brag, it had to be this. They really didn't need an entire city against them, especially not when they would be staying there.

"If you're talking about the world's strongest— AHHH!" Madoka mentally thanked Kotone for stomping on his foot. Did Masamune ever think before speaking?

"Be careful, will you?!" Masamune snapped at the redhead.

"Says the person who destroyed the _Great freaking Wall of China_!" Kotone said in response.

Madoka sighed. Couldn't they just bury the hatchet? That argument was getting old. She turned around and said, "Will you guys give it a rest already?"

"Fine," they both muttered at the same time, sounding disappointed. It was almost as if they enjoyed arguing with each other.

Madoka turned her attention back to the locals to apologise but Gingka had it covered. "Where should a guy go if they want to meet this Desert Blaze?"

o-o-o-o

Their impromptu meeting with Desert Blaze in a nearby desert lasted until the evening, and by the time they reached the city, the Sun was already going down. In that time, they had seen them practice a bit and talked to them. Their control on their beys, agility and speed even on sand was nothing short of impressive.

It reminded Madoka a bit of Yuu's battle style, especially when he laid out his sand trap. Yuu was more versatile though; then again, she hadn't seen much of Desert Blaze.

"So that was Team Desert Blaze," Gingka said, breaking the silence between them as they walked to the hotel.

"They seemed like really nice people," Madoka said. She turned to Kotone, who was walking next to her with her arms folded behind her head. "Still think Excalibur will win?"

"Yup," Kotone replied. "Don't get me wrong, they're pretty good. But the EU team is on the next level. Right now, I don't think even we could defeat them."

Madoka frowned. For Kotone to say that, Excalibur must be really skilled. She wasn't the type to give out compliments just like that.

"They're that good, huh?" Yuu asked.

Kotone shrugged. "From what I've seen, yeah. Still, if they make it, we'll face them in the block finals. We should have a lot of time to improve before then."

"It's not like Excalibur won't use that time too," Tsubasa said. "We shouldn't overestimate ourselves."

As per the norm, Kotone replied with a careless, "Yeah, yeah."

Madoka was about to agree with Tsubasa when her eyes caught sight of a white limousine. It stopped at the hotel right in front of them, and Madoka stopped. Everyone else must have stopped too, for no one bumped into her. A red carpet was laid in front of the door, and Madoka wondered just who was inside.

Two people rushed to the car and one opened the door and out came someone who looked the epitome of rich. Madoka's eyes narrowed. Something seemed familiar about the long, blonde hair and deep blue eyes but Madoka couldn't put her finger on it. Perhaps she had seen the guy on a TV in a fleeting instant.

"Who's that guy, some kind of movie star?" Yuu asked.

"Probably just some spoiled rich kid, I bet," Masamune replied with a shrug.

Madoka wasn't so sure. Just as the kid passed them, she realized where she had seen the guy before. "It's Excalibur's leader, Julian Konzern!"

"Excalibur's leader, huh?" Gingka murmured, craning his neck to peak inside the limo. The door of the car shut though, with only Julian coming out.

Masamune raised an eyebrow. "Is he planning to battle in all three matches by himself?" he asked no one in particular.

Kotone rubbed the back of her head with a frown. "Okay, that's a level of arrogance even I didn't expect."

"You're assuming too much," Tsubasa said in a chiding tone he always used with Kotone, one an exasperated older sibling would use with a younger one. "For all we know, they could be anywhere in the city."

"Good point," Kotone said, though her careless shrug clearly said that she didn't care about it.

"Well," Gingka said, "wherever they are, it's got nothing to do with us. Let's get out of here."

"Okay, I'm hungry," Yuu said.

"Yeah, me too," Kotone said. "Let's get some ice cream!"

Yuu's pouting face brightened up. "Alright!"

"_No_!" Tsubasa said, and both of them deflated and stuck out their tongues at him in sync. "The last thing we need is both of you on a sugar high."

"Besides," Madoka said, deciding to take no pity on them. "Tsubasa and I have all the team's money, anyways."

As if the rest could be trusted not to spend it all in one day. Really, the WBBA employees must have a high salary if Kotone could survive on it with her obsession with sweets and literally everything with _Hello Kitty _on it.

Masamune laughed at the look on Kotone's face. "Looks like it'll have to come out of your paycheck."

"I really hate you two," Kotone muttered, shooting Madoka and Tsubasa irritated looks that only made the brunette laugh.

o-o-o-o

That night, something weird happened, even by the team's standards. Okay, so maybe it wasn't _that_ weird but Gingka was getting tired of Masamune beating around the bush. He glanced at his teammate who was panting on his bed, the sweat on his face glistening in the moonlight.

"Masamune?"

No response.

The redhead got up and walked over to him. His hand had barely touched Masamune's shoulder when his teammate flinched, shrinking at the contact. Gingka took one look at his face, and the words died on his lips. He had never seen Masamune scared before. It just didn't seem possible, not with how outspoken and overconfident the other teen could be.

Suddenly, Masamune moved and quickly left the room, as if the place was on fire or something.

Gingka remained frozen for a second. Just what was going on with him? He tried to recall any information he had on it. He knew that Masamune had been having nightmares for a long time now, and he had been taking painkillers a lot too. He said it was a headache, but Gingka didn't believe that.

Also, Masamune had been acting strange for a while. He tried to act like his usual cheerful and loud self, but the bags under his eyes said something else. It was like he was trying to hide something, but what could it be?

Maybe he and Tsubasa should get him to talk. He wasn't sure how much the other's noticed, but maybe they had picked up on it as well. Kotone was, after all, trained in the same way as Tsubasa, even if it wasn't all that obvious. Madoka had everyone's behavior patterns noted to a T, and Yuu could be surprisingly perceptive for his age.

Wait, how long had he been sitting there? Masamune hadn't returned yet either. With a jolt, Gingka realized that Masamune had left the room for quite a while now.

Cursing, the redhead went outside, but there was no one in the living room. He checked the balcony of the hotel and the washrooms, but Masamune wasn't there either.

Footsteps reached his ears and Gingka froze. The door opened, and Yuu came in, looking absolutely exhausted. The kid didn't seem to notice Gingka and walked past him on the way to the bedroom.

"Yuu?" Gingka said, trying to keep his voice low so that he wouldn't wake up anyone else.

Yuu froze and turned. For a moment, he looked like a deer in the headlights. Then, he seemed to realize what was going on and shook his head. "Hey, Gingky."

Gingka frowned. "What's wrong?"

Yuu tensed for a moment before relaxing, obviously forcing himself to do the latter. "Nothing just couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk."

Gingka's frown deepened. "You can't just go off on your own like that. We know next to nothing about this place."

Yuu rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I _know_ that. Quit treating me like a kid."

Gingka crossed his arms. "But seriously, is something wrong? You seem—"

"It's nothing, alright?" Yuu said a bit too forcefully. He sucked in a deep breath and said, "I'm fine. It's nothing."

Gingka frowned. It obviously wasn't nothing, but Gingka didn't want to push it. Forcing Yuu to talk probably wouldn't work, and the kid might even storm off. It was already...

One? Two? Gingka wasn't sure, but it was late and they needed sleep. So the redhead raised his hands placatingly. "Alright, fine." Yuu didn't seem convinced, but he did seem eager to drop the subject. "Let's just get back to sleep."

Yuu nodded to his suggestion and went back to bed.

Gingka sighed, whether out of relief or disappointment, he wasn't really sure. He glanced at the door. Maybe Masamune had left too. Maybe he shouldn't try to get him to talk, not when he wasn't ready to open up.

Perhaps he was just trying to comfort himself with those thoughts, but Gingka was too tired to think. Maybe next time, he told himself and headed to bed, trying to smother the pang of guilt that bubbled inside him.

o-o-o-o

The next day's press conference wasn't really normal either. Madoka wasn't sure what to make of it when Julian Konzern showed up all alone, facing Desert Blaze with his nose turned up. He looked bored, as if it just wasn't worth his time.

"Is he planning to battle in all three matches by himself?!" Masamune said, repeating his question from the previous day.

Yuu shrugged "Looks like it."

_"Where are the other two of your team?" _Gasur said onscreen when he got over his surprise.

Julian Konzern gave him a patronizing look. His haughty smirk remained intact as he said,_ "There is no need for them to be here. I should be more than enough to win this battle."_

"There's your answer," Tsubasa said to Masamune.

_"What was that?!" _Karte said through gritted teeth as he glared at Konzern.

Konzern closed his eyes with a chuckle. _"Even if one of you defeats me tomorrow, your team can move on to the next round. How does that sound? I'll take all three of you on."_

Cameras flashed and the murmurs that rippled through the interviewers could be heard even through the TV. Ignoring the calls of the press, Konzern turned and left, leaving the irritated team in his wake.

The TV screen turned black when Madoka turned it off. "That was... interesting."

"I don't know what that guy's deal is, but it's amusing," Masamune said. He turned to Kotone. "Keep that money ready? There's no way he could fight three matches on

Kotone shrugged. "We'll see."

"Julian Konzern..." Madoka heard Gingka mutter as he still stared at the screen.

o-o-o-o

Even though Konzern had managed to turn all of Arabia against him in a span of two minutes, everyone was excited to see his match. Madoka supposed she couldn't blame them. After his big words, everyone was bound to be curious about the guy.

Madoka sat in the crowd, laptop at the ready. She had to record this match.

"Let it rip!"

Immediately after the two beys were launched, Konzern's Gravity Destroyer was showered in blows as Northern Cross attacked relentlessly. The crowd cheered, but Madoka was focused on recording and analyzing to join.

"You know," she heard Masamune say from his seat behind her, "for someone who asked for a one on three battle, he doesn't seem all that strong."

"It doesn't look like it," Yuu agreed, "but the battle's just started."

Madoka typed a few commands rapidly, and Destroyer's part analysis came out. "Strong defense... Thick Fusion Wheel... I know that already! Give me something new."

The computer did not reply.

Gasur changed tactics, and Northern Cross spun to the edge before descending down on Destroyer. Destroyer was aloft for a moment before landing in the stadium again. Northern Cross wasted no time in attacking again, this time not even letting it become airborne.

"Northern Cross's attack power is amazing," Madoka said.

"Man, Gasur's awesome!" Masamune said. Holding his hands to his mouth, he shouted, "That's the way! Keep it up, Gasur!"

"Yeah, show 'em what you got!" Yuu hollered.

"I guess," Gingka said to Masamune's earlier statement, making them all turn to him. "But..."

"You saw it too, huh?" Kotone said. Her arms were crossed, and she was all but glaring at the battle. "Even with all that attack power, and the frequency of those attacks, Northern Cross's barrage doesn't seem to be doing much. I'm guessing that Konzern is waiting for Northern Cross to tire itself out, before Destroyer finishes it off."

From the corner of her eye, Madoka saw Tsubasa nod in accolade. She almost giggled. Tsubasa looked like a proud dad or something.

She turned her focus on her laptop. "It seems like that. Plus, Destroyer is a bey with high defensive powers. It's Energy Ring and Fusion Wheel make it seem like the Fusion Wheel is wearing a helmet or something." She turned to Kotone. "Is that how Konzern battled in the qualifiers?"

Kotone gave her a blank look. "You really didn't open the file I gave you, isn't that right?"

Madoka could feel her face heat up. "Yeah, well, I was kind of busy with Wang Hu Zhong to worry about other teams."

Kotone shrugged. "Okay, good point. And to answer your question, Konzern didn't battle in the qualifiers. He was a shoo-in, kinda like Gingka."

"In that case." The team would have jumped, had they not become used to Tsubasa's tendency to suddenly speak up. "We can agree that he's more skilled than he lets on. What remains to be seen is how it'll attack."

Over at the battle, Konzern was saying something but Madoka couldn't make it out even after the crowd had fallen quite. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, "I'll bring it to an end." He began talking about a legend which Madoka recognized as the one about Perseus and Medusa.

But what did mythology have to do with beyblades?

"I'm lost," Masamune said, scratching his face with one finger as he always did when confused. "Is his bey Destroyer or Medusa?"

Yuu shrugged. "Beats me."

Gingka crossed his arms. "It could be either. I mean, in legend, Perseus used Medusa's head like a weapon or something." He turned to Kotone. "Right?" The redhead nodded.

Tsubasa asked, "What does a legend have to do with beyblades? Aren't they powered by constellations?"

"Not necessarily," Kotone said. "It's true that constellations are what give the beys their power, but sometimes, beys are modeled after legends and legendary heroes. Back in Koma, they used to say that such beys are preserved throughout time. Some even say that the legends are revived in those beys."

Before anyone could respond to that, Konzern's voice echoed in the now silent arena. "Destroyer! Assume counter mode!" Madoka made sure to record that, though she decided to analyze it later. "No one can run from these Medusa's eyes."

Northern Cross, who had been advancing towards Destroyer, suddenly froze, as if somehow turned to stone.

"Huh?" Gingka said before they all turned to Kotone.

The girl gave them a defensive look. "What are you all looking at me for? How the heck am I supposed to know what's going on? I'm not psychic!"

After that, sending it flying was no big feat for Destroyer. The bey smashed into the arena wall above the audience, who were all gaping at the stadium.

"Gasur..." Gingka mumbled, frowning.

"He was defeated so easily," Masamune said, his voice adrip with disbelief.

Some trash talking later, Konzern was facing both Karte and Zatane together. This earned him quite a lot of contempt from the spectators, but that was to be expected. Home crowds were always like that.

"Man, I don't get what that guy's deal is," Masamune said. "Battling two people at once?"

"Why would he put himself at such a disadvantage?" Yuu said. "At least Gasur was just one opponent."

"Maybe he doesn't know about their combo move," Madoka suggested. That was the only explanation she could think of.

"Could be," Kotone said. "It was news to me." She then shrugged. "Or maybe he's just cocky."

Tsubasa crossed his arms, fixing Konzern with a calculating look. "Or maybe, he's confident that he can take them on. He did defeat Gasur in just one hit." His eyebrows furrowed as he thought.

"Do you think he's still hiding something?" Gingka asked.

"He could be," Tsubasa replied. "After all, you can't get on an international level with just one strategy."

From her peripheral vision, Madoka saw Kotone stare at her own bey, her hands clenching slightly. The brunette had forgotten that Kotone had entered the qualifiers too, only to be defeated by Tsubasa. If she remembered correctly, Kotone had relied too much on her special move.

Madoka turned her attention to the battle when the bladers and the audience chorused, "Let it rip!"

The entire stadium gasped as one when Destroyer spun to the right instead of the normal left. Even Karte and Zatane's beys were frozen in shock as Destroyer circled around them, spinning counterclockwise.

"No way!" Masamune exclaimed, breaking the silence that had lapsed over the spectators.

"That bey is..." Gingka's eyes were wide and horrified. He was no doubt remembering L-Drago. "It's spinning to the left!"

Dread washed over Madoka as she stared at the bey. She had hoped that there was only one — and now, none — but if there really were more left spinning beys than L-Drago, they were in a lot of trouble.

"Did he switch beys or something?" Masamune asked.

"No," Madoka said, watching her laptop as it recorded everything. "It's the same bey. Destroyer seems to be able to spin in both directions!"

"How is that even possible?!" Kotone all but shouted. Her face was pallid, and she was breathing heavily, as though unable to get in some air.

Madoka bit her lips. It wouldn't be good if Kotone had a panic attack now.

"Are you okay?" Masamune asked her, eyebrows furrowed.

Kotone jumped, but the sentence seemed to help her calm down. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm—I'm fine."

Masamune didn't look convinced. Neither was anyone else.

"Crow Crusher!"

Madoka turned to the battle, where there wee two beys but only one crow flying. Suddenly, she wasn't sure if battling Konzern was a good idea, not with that rotation. If Destroyer was anything like L-Drago, the move wouldn't even put a dent on it.

Her suspicions were confirmed when a warrior sprung out of Destroyer and slashed the crows apart. The move created a hole in the pyramid shaped stadium, silencing the crowd completely.

Hushed murmurs rippled through the crowd soon enough, and Masamune finally broke the silence amongst the team. "No way! He beat all three of them!"

As Konzern turned and began walking away, Gingka muttered, "Who _is_ this guy?"

"Ugh!" Madoka jumped at the sudden shout and turned to Masamune who was handing something to Kotone. The redhead was smirking, though her pale face told a different story. "Rats!"

Madoka sighed. At least one thing hadn't changed.

o-o-o-o

It was night when Gingka and Kotone called his dad. Kotone didn't want anyone else to get involved, but Gingka wasn't too sure about that. He didn't want to hide things from the rest, but Kotone had a point. The Dark Power was dangerous, and while he trusted his team, he also didn't want to put them at risk, especially not when the Battle Bladers was still fresh in his mind.

"Why do you want to know about the Dark Power?" Gingka has to give his dad credit, he knew how to act. But he and Kotone had practically grown up with him.

"Because," Kotone said, crossing her arms, "we aren't stupid. We can see what's going on when the answer's dancing in our face."

Dad sighed. "I guess Hikaru was right. I should give you more credit." He gave them a stern look. "I hope you realize what you're getting into."

Gingka shared a look with Kotone, both determined to see this whole thing to an end. "We do. We know better than anyone what the Dark Power can do."

The "Except Ryuuga," was left hanging in the air, though it went without saying.

"The WBBA has been looking into the matter ever since Tsubasa's battle with Kyoya," Dad said, suddenly looking exhausted. "No one wants a repeat of the Battle Bladers."

Kotone shuddered. "Do you... Do you think that Eagle could actually take over Tsubasa, like L-Drago did?"

"I hope not, but we can't say for certain."

That was one of the things Gingka appreciated about his dad. He didn't hide information from them because they were "kids". He acknowledged their experience and their skills, something which most adults didn't seem to take into account.

Then, an idea occurred to him. It was insane and dangerous, but it could work. "Ryuuga would know more than anyone about it. I mean, he does have the experience."

His dad nodded. "I've already asked Hyoma to search for Ryuuga. If he can convince Ryuuga to help, we could reach a peaceful solution."

Kotone clicked her tongue. "Still, do you think it'll be okay? Ryuuga isn't exactly the definition of "friendly". Or even "sane" last I saw him."

Gingka hummed. Ryuuga had been their childhood friend, and his first instinct was to defense him, but Kotone had a point. Ryuuga had changed, and he probably wasn't going to be helpful. Not after everything that had happened.

"Well, that explains why I haven't been able to contact Hyoma," he said. "Ryuuga isn't exactly an easy guy to find."

That was the one thing that hadn't changed. Even as a child, no one could find him when he didn't want to be found — no one except Hyoma. It was the reason why the latter was chosen to guard Koma Village in the first place, because he had a talent for finding people, and he was a good judge of character. He could sniff out untrustworthy people like Gingka could sniff out bladers.

"Still, Kotone has a point," Gingka continued. "How do we know Ryuuga's safe to be around?"

"I told Hyoma to observe the situation first. If there is anything that hints at hostility, I told him to abort the mission."

Kotone raised an eyebrow. "And you expect him to listen to that? No offense Uncle, but Hyoma's as much of a risk taker as Gingka."

His dad sighed. "I know, but I didn't want to send one our agents after him. At least Hyoma would be a familiar face. Still, it's late. You should get some sleep."

"I'm not... tired," Despite what she said, she yawned at the last word. Dad chuckled.

"Yes, you are. I'll update you when we get some information."

That seemed to satisfy Kotone, and she nodded sleepily.


	10. Picking the Pace

**Sorry for the long wait. Online classes are tougher than I had thought.**

**Wander****:** Aw, thanks! I'm glad Kotone feels like a compelling character because at first, I was worried about adding an OC to the team. Yes, people like Konzern can be rather annoying.

True, little girls are like that. I had a _Hello Kitty_ clock for a long time, and now, it's being used as a photo frame, so you're not the only one. Yes, authorities are never involved, but that happens in nearly all animes. It sucks because most characters are kids. I haven't watches Beyblade Burst, maybe I will in the future, maybe not, I don't know.

I'm glad you like the chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one too. Thanks for the long and thorough review; I really enjoyed it.

**Yuu101cutie:** Thanks for the thorough review! I must say, I had been worried about whether this version is better than the old one or not. I'm glad you like Kotone, it makes all the effort I put into her worth it. I don't remember calling her Gingka's sister in the story, and I couldn't find it when I looked, so I'd appreciate it if you poitned out which chapter it was so I can fix it. But, yeah, she's his cousin.

I have to say, you hit the nail on the head with Masamune's headache issue being a memory problem. It's impressive how many of your hints are correct, but that's all I'll say on this topic. It's good to know I'm writing Tsubasa at least okay. He's the toughest for me to write, so I'm glad it's working out pretty well. Yuu's past will come up later, so all I can say is wait and see.

Once again, thanks!

**Laura:** Thanks! I don't really think I can write Reiji all that well, but I do intend have more battles within the team. I'll take requests if I think I can do them justice.

**Laura. C:** Thanks! I'm glad you like it! I'll try my best to incorporate those battles.

**Lily. C:** For special moves, I plan to add some new ones for the team. Hopefully, I can be creative enough.

**lolmyaccountbrok:** Thanks!

o-o-o-o

**Chapter 10: Picking the Pace**

Kotone had her eyebrows scrunched in concentration as she wrote something or other down on her — surprise — light pink diary. Her fiery red hair was tied into a braid and thrown over her shoulder; yet, it managed to reach her lap. The brunette watching her couldn't help but think of how Kotone could handle such long hair. Madoka kept her hair short for that particular reason, it was just impossible to brush through it when you had a dozen beys to fix.

That was the reason why Hikaru had forced her to take a break — apparently, she worked too hard. Hikaru didn't have to try a lot to convince her though. The World Championships were tiring to say the least, which was why Madoka couldn't help but sigh at the younger girl.

"Kotone, what are you doing?"

"Working on a training plan," Kotone said, not even looking up from her work. Her pen finally paused for a second, and she looked up to ask, "Hey, could you show me everyone's stats? That'll make this much easier."

"You know, I'm pretty sure that when Hikaru told us to take a break for a day, she meant take a break for a day."

Kotone rolled her eyes. "Look, we'll be in Japan for another week. We have to use this time to train."

Madoka raised an eyebrow. She couldn't help the smile that tugged on her lips. "Wow, Excalibur made that much of an expression on you, huh?"

Kotone looked at her, and Madoka was taken aback by the intensity in those ice blue eyes. Kotone looked like she was going to agree, but then she paused and huffed. "No."

That was what bothered Madoka about Kotone. She was thirteen, and yet, she thought like an adult. It was easy enough to see in her reactions to things. And then there was that childishness. It was genuine sometimes, like when she gushed about _Hello Kitty_ or insisted on her every possession having something pink in it or wasted a lot of money on sweets of all things, but mostly, it seemed like Kotone was trying to trap herself in a bubble of forced callowness.

Despite all her attempts though, there was an air of experience around her. Her eyes lacked the innocence of a regular child, and even when she pulled some prank or tried to get a rise out of someone for no reason or picked a fight put of nowhere, there was a glint in her eyes — one of distaste. Well, perhaps not _distaste_, but it was just like... Like her heart wasn't in it or something.

But what caused it? Her job as an agent? Perhaps. But why was Kotone an agent in the first place? Or even working at all? Madoka had never seen her parents, and neither of the cousins had ever mentioned them. Sometimes, Madoka wanted to ask, but then she would stop herself. Gingka's story had taught her that not everything was as it seemed, and she didn't want to accidentally open an unhealed wound.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer."

Madoka jumped with a yelp and blinked. Kotone was looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Something on my face, Brainiac?"

"I—It's nothing," Madoka replied, still shaken.

Kotone gave her a look, this time one Madoka had never seen on her. It was like Kotone was seeing through her, trying to analyze her and find the best possible way to break her down. _That_ definitely came from her job.

Madoka was just about to look away when Kotone shrugged. "Whatever."

For someone who had nearly had a panic attack just a couple of days ago, Kotone was doing rather well. Sure, Madoka hadn't expected her to be jumpy or even nervous, but Kotone had bounced back like nothing had even happened. Madoka figured she had had enough practice with it, what with helping Tsubasa spy on the Dark Nebula and Ryuuga going on a rampage.

Madoka wondered what it was like, seeing someone who was once your friend lose it like that. With the added trauma of Doji attacking Koma Village and Ryo's "death" — whether Kotone admitted to being bothered by it or not was a different sto—

The door opened, and the bell jingled. Madoka jumped and turned around as fast as she could, and sighed in relief when Hikaru walked in. The blue haired girl raised an eyebrow at Madoka and then turned to Kotone. Hikaru sighed and grabbed the notebook, holding it out of Kotone's reach.

"What the hell, Hikaru?" Kotone said, trying to reach for her diary which Hikaru just held away even further.

"Kotone, I swear, if you don't take a break, I _will_ throw this in the river," was Hikaru's response.

Kotone glared at her and then crossed her arms and looked away, huffing. "Fine."

o-o-o-o

The next day, Kotone paced in front of the four Bladers in the B-Pit, no unlike Tsubasa's instructor in the training academy. The other three looked bemused as the Kotone talked — all unnecessary stuff, but Kotone really liked to talk — her ponytail swishing behind her.

"At first, I was going to add new tactics, but then I figured that we should get the hang of what we can do."

Yuu arched an eyebrow. "We?"

Kotone sighed. "Yeah, I'm training too. I mean, I'm not on the team or anything, but why waste an opportunity? Anyways, I figured that since we worked on basically everything in the boot camp—"

Masamune snorted. "It was just us who did the work."

Kotone rolled her eyes. "Whatever. The point is, we'll just work on our strengths for now."

Tsubasa crossed his arms. He could see where Kotone was going, but wouldn't it make more sense to work on their weaknesses? "Or we could sharpen our weak points so our enemies can't take advantage of that."

Kotone shot him a glare, one he'd long since become used to. It was the same one she gave him whenever they didn't agree on something during their only team mission — which, admittedly, happened more than Tsubasa would like to admit. It wasn't exactly practical to hate your partner's guts or for the feeling to be mutual.

"_Or_," Kotone said through gritted teeth, as she halted, "we could make sure they don't get that chance in the first place."

"That's reckless, Kotone," he said before he even realized he had said it. It had just become a habit by now — as it was becoming with Masamune too, apparently.

Her glare just deepened. Tsubasa mentally scoffed. Kotone wasn't nearly as scary as she seemed to be to the others. Sure, her temper was short, and she did stupid and violent things when she was ticked off, but her glare didn't hold a candle to some of the ones he'd seen, both in the training acadey and in field.

Before she could say something though, Gingka stepped between the two. "Guys, let's just get back to the training schedule."

Tsubasa sighed. "Fine." While it was impractical to ignore their weaknesses, he supposed working on their strengths would do for now.

"I though we were here to take a break," he heard Yuu mutter to himself.

"Perhaps, but Kotone has a point," Tsubasa replied. It was the one thing he could agree with his junior on right now. "You saw Team Excalibur. We can't get complacent. We've come too far to lose now."

Masamune pushed himself up from the chair and stretched. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's get started!"

o-o-o-o

Ten year old Masamune was in an inferno. All around him, flames danced like fireflies. His breath — ragged and too fast — was the only thing he could hear over their cackling. He tried to step forward, but the flames roared and he jumped back, only to meet the same situation behind him.

He was trapped, and he wasn't sure if he would survive the flames and smoke. The embers had him surrounded, as if they would pounce on him any second. It was the only thing separating him from the door, keeping him trapped in the strange, otherwise empty room.

"Well." Masamune jumped at the unfamiliar yet somehow recognizable voice. He looked around frantically, trying in vain to locate the source. "What will you do, Masamune? If you can't tame these flames, you will never be able to take control of the Dark Power."

A feeling of dread and foreboding washed over him. He could feel his breath pick the pace. He couldn't breathe even as he tried his best to inhale whatever meager amount of oxygen was left in the room.

"In the event that you fail, I will have no choice but to find a different pawn."

Masamune could feel himself freeze. The blood in his veins seemed to have turned into ice. Though he couldn't really see himself, he was sure that the only color left on his face was a reflected orange with which the flames had washed everything in the room.

In his mind, only one word echoed.

_Reiko._

o-o-o-o

Masamune woke up with a yelp. He was panting, and it took him a moment to realize that he could breathe and that he wasn't going to suffocate to death. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he looked to the other bed in the room. Gingka mumbled something in his sleep and fell silent after that.

Deciding he wouldn't be able to get any sleep, Masamune decided to get up.

Gingka, his dad and Kotone had all insisted that he stay in their house instead of a hotel for the rest of the week. It was shocking to think that the apartment was under Kotone's name, but then again, Ryo had been "dead" for who knew how long and Gingka apparently used to travel around the entire country without sticking around any place for too long. Besides, the WBBA apparently gave it's employees a house of their choice free of charge.

Masamune wondered what t was like to have a sibling. Even though Gingka and Kotone were cousins, they had been raised as siblings — and what was the deal with that? Where the heck were Kotone's parents? — which probably contributed to how close they were.

Whenever Masamune thought of siblings, he had always felt a peculiar melancholy and tried, even back in America before this whole mess with Do— _Don't think about that!_ — before this whole mess had begun. Why, he didn't know. He had never had a sibling before.

Or had he? What was the name in his dream?

Reiko.

Was that person really a sibling? But who was that? He'd never known a person with that name before, not as far as he remembered.

And that was the problem, wasn't it? He didn't know the first ten years of his life. Granted, not many people remembered that time period, but it was almost like someone had taken away those memories. He had never seen his family, not even in photos. It had never bothered him before — the woman he called his aunt was good enough for him — but now that he thought about it, maybe that had something to do with—

Something in front of him clattered, and Masamune jumped. He blinked dumbly at the box of tea bag. What was he doing in the kitchen? And why the heck was there a kettle in his hand?

...Shit, he was turning into Toby!

Making tea was something Toby always did when someone was upset. Masamune had never understood it, but Toby always said that tea helped calm everyone down.

Masamune kind of missed his friends in America. Sure, he'd met some great people in his time away, and his teammates were actually not that bad when Tsubasa wasn't being overly critical, or Gingka wasn't trying to be a freaking saint, or Madoka wasn't being bossy, or Yuu wasn't being loud, or Kotone wasn't getting on his nerves — what was the deal with that? Kotone's personality was always doing one-eighties like—

"What are you doing?"

Masamune jumped and turned around, nearly dropping the kettle. Speak of the devil. Kotone stood in front of him, arms akimbo, in all her pink and _Hello Kitty_-fied glory.

"Making tea?" Mentally, Masamune smacked himself for that response. He would never know what possessed him to say that.

Kotone arched an eyebrow. "Who makes tea at a time like this? It's around—" She glanced at the clock. "—three in the morning."

Masamune set the kettle on the stove. "Whatever, just—just go to sleep or something."

"No."

Masamune glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Kotone had her arms crossed into a stubborn posture. For once, she actually _looked_ like a thirteen year old.

He sighed. "Don't you love sleep more than life? Just leave me alone."

Kotone marched forward, a mixture of stubbornness and annoyance in her eyes. For a second, Masamune had a feeling he would get hit — Kotone was always irrational when she was sleepy, but then again, being awake never exactly made her think if she didn't want to — but Kotone just walked past him and dumped some more water into the kettle.

"Make some tea for me too," she said. Her face melted into a sheepish smile. "I'd help, but..."

"No problem," Masamune said hurriedly. "I got this." Knowing Kotone, she would probably find a way to burn the water.

The redhead sighed and leaned against the counter. "Man, I suck at cooking. At least, with all these city appliances."

Masamune raised an eyebrow at that.

The question must have been obvious on his face, because she elaborated, "It's just... I can't really use the stoves and kettles and stuff." Kotone averted his eyes, clearly embarrassed. "It's easier without all those buttons and knobs."

"Huh," was all Masamune could bring himself to say as he set two cups on the counter.

"Guess I just never learned. When I first came to the city, I just ate fruits and vegetables instead of actually cooking something. It... kind of reminded me of home. After that, I started ordering out, and then Madoka was always there to do the cooking, and then Uncle came back... so, I never really had a reason to learn, I guess."

Masamune shrugged. He honestly hadn't ever tried to actually cook something — tea aside, but even then it was mostly watching Toby make it so much. "Must have been hard, moving away so suddenly. Why'd you do it?"

As he added some milk to the cups containing water and tea bags, Masamune saw Kotone tense from the corner of his eye. He handed her a cup, which she took without a word, glaring at it as if it had offended her. Masamune went to the living room, and he could hear Kotone follow.

They sat in complete silence for a while, until she finally said, "It's a long story. Doji—" Masamune tried not to flinch. "— attacked the village, and Ryuuga..." Her voice cracked, and she fell silent.

"Ryuuga, as in Battle Bladers Ryuuga?"

Kotone gave him an irritated look. "Do you know any other Ryuuga?" But her voice sounded normal now. She sighed. "You still haven't told me anything. About why you were making tea."

Masamune couldn't bring himself to tell her it was nothing, not after their previous conversation. So, he told her about the nightmare. It felt oddly comforting, talking to her about his nightmare. Kotone didn't interrupt and she didn't ask questions. She just listened and let him get it off his chest.

"And you don't know who this Reiko is?"

Masamune shook his head.

"The constant headache thing is probably a memory issue. Honestly, it could be anything from amnesia to suppressed memories. But what made them come out so suddenly?"

Masamune winced. He wondered if Kotone could read people like Tsubasa could. He hadn't told her about Doji or the Dark Power, and—

Wait! Tsubasa!

"What about him?" Kotone was looking at him, confusion filling her ice blue eyes.

Masamune jumped. He'd said it out loud?! For a moment, his mind went blank. Then, after what he hoped didn't seem like a suspicious silence, he said, "Any idea what's going on with him? I mean, his breakdown in the first round battle obviously wasn't normal."

Kotone kept her stare on him for a moment, and Masamune fidgeted. He looked suspicious, didn't he? It was almost like she was trying to tear him down. But then, Kotone sighed. "Yeah, Gingka and I are already on it. You know about the Dark Power, right?"

Masamune nodded. "Kind of. I thought it was just a thing with L-Drago."

Kotone sighed. "Yeah, I don't get it either. But it matches perfectly. The WBBA is looking into it, so until they find something, we're in the dark."

"Oh." They fell into silence again. "What about you?"

Kotone raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"Are you okay? I mean, after what happened with Excalibur..."

What _had_ happened, anyways? Kotone had freaked out about Destroyer being a left rotating b— Oh. Reverse rotation. Like L-Drago.

Kotone sighed. She had a weird look on her face, like she was feeling too many things at once. "Yeah, I... I just don't like reverse rotating beys."

"Because of L-Drago?" Masamune blurted out.

Kotone's face darkened, and her grip on her cup tightened. She got up without a word. "We should get some sleep; we've got a lot of training to do tomorrow."

o-o-o-o

Ever since Madoka had spelled out the problem in his training, Yuu had been determined to get better. Not just better, but the best. He refused to lag behind anymore. He had gotten overconfident before, and he had paid the price.

That was the reason why he dragged out Madoka after training, all the way to the not being used stadium. As the national team, Gan Gan Galaxy had been granted access to it.

"So, what do you have in mind for Libra's new special move anyways?" Madoka asked as she turned her laptop on.

Yuu shrugged, watching Libra spin in the center of the dish. "I tried to change the frequency from offensive to defensive, and instead of having the vibrations straight, I had Libra bend them slightly so they'd cover more ground and act more like a barrier."

"I'm ready to analyze it," Madoka said.

Yuu grinned. "Alright, here we go! Libra!" He made a mental note to think of a name for it.

A glowing green dome surrounded Libra, covering a huge part of the stadium. Libra blended into the bright green light, hidden from sight as the dome became brighter and brighter. But then, the green glow turned white and it shattered into several tiny fragments. Libra remained in the center, wobbling slightly.

"Ugh! Not again!"

As Libra returned to his hand, Madoka was typing in her computer. Yuu went over to her and glanced at the screen, taking note of the frequency pattern.

"There doesn't seem to be any technical issue with it," Madoka finally said. "Your move is a combination of Inferno Blast and Sonic Shield, right?" Yuu nodded. "Libra is a stamina type. The power you're using is way beyond any stamina type bey, or even some basic attack types."

Yuu frowned. "So, it's a no go?"

Madoka smiled placatingly. "Apparently. But I'm sure you'll figure out something else."

"Special moves, huh?"

Yuu turned around to find Kotone staring at the stadium contemplatively.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

Kotone didn't reply for a while. Yuu huffed and was about to repeat his question when she suddenly grinned. "I've got an idea."

o-o-o-o

Meanwhile, Tsubasa was working on Eagle's attack power. Agility was fine and all, but Eagle's main weakness was that it lacked the power to make a sufficient attack without relying on it's special move. That was why Eagle hadn't been able to put so much as a dent on Lacerta.

Tsubasa could still feel his ears ringing from that unearthly voice, and he could still see that person who had looked just like him but not quite. The demonic figure made him feel uneasy like nothing had ever before. It was almost... inhuman.

But what was it?

"Hey."

Tsubasa tensed. He twisted around and threw a punch. His eyes darted around quickly. There was just one person, unarmed, and—

"Gingka?" Tsubasa felt like hitting himself.

Fortunately, the redhead had dodged in time, and Tsubasa's fist hovered next to his head. Tsubasa retracted it, feeling a little self-conscious from the outburst.

Gingka let out a surprised chuckle. "Talk about fast reflexes, huh?"

"Sorry."

"It's cool." Gingka's expression morphed into a serious one. "But... Are you okay?" Tsubasa raised an eyebrow, and Gingka hurried to explain. "It's just that... In your battle with Chi Yun, what happened, exactly?"

It was only through practice that Tsubasa was able to keep a calm demeanor. It was his own problem. There was no need to involve anyone else. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

Gingka crossed his arms, looking very much like Kotone when she was being stubborn. "Tsubasa, it clearly wasn't nothing. If something's wrong, it _does_ concern the entire team because—"

**"Just drop it, okay?!"**

Gingka reared back, eye widening. "Uh..."

Tsubasa wasn't sure what came over him all of a sudden. There was that bone-chilling feeling again, like his nerves had just been doused with ice cold water. Tsubasa shook his head. "Sorry. I just... Don't want to talk about it."

Gingka watched him for a moment, as though looking for any signs of an explosion. "Sure..."

o-o-o-o

Days passed in a blur of events, and before they knew it, it was time for Gan Gan Galaxy to leave again. The B-Pit was like a circus. Tsubasa simply watched Madoka and Yuu scramble around as they packed their belongings at the very least moment. Gingka tried to be helpful, and complied whenever Madoka told him to fetch something.

Next to Tsubasa, Masamune said, "Suddenly, I'm kind of glad Kotone threatened me into packing early."

Tsubasa gave him a side-glance.

Masamune folded his hands behind his head. "I faced last minute packing when I left America. Never again."

From the other side of the room, Kotone snickered at the three, and Madoka shouted at her to help. The young agent caught Tsubasa's eyes and sent a few hand signs his way — thankfully no one else saw it. Tsubasa was able to decipher them with ease.

A video of the American team's first round? He'd have to see it later.

o-o-o-o

Tsubasa had hit the nail on the head when he figured that Kotone would lean over his seat to watch his reaction. Subtlety really wasn't her thing. It was why he had decided to wait until the rest were asleep to watch the video she had sent. There was no need to involve them, especially not Masamune.

Even though one could say a lot of negative things about him, he was clearly loyal to a fault. He wouldn't take kindly to them being suspicious of his old friends.

Still, the fact was that Star Breaker's stats — especially Zeo's if the WBBA records were anything to go by — had improved by miles. The graph was too steep for it to be a result of just training. Tsubasa didn't want to suspect Masamune's friend, but he also didn't want to take a chance. The Battle Bladers hadn't been that long.

"Well," Tsubasa said as he watched Zeo take out his opponent with relative ease, "something's up."

Kotone snorted in his ear. "No kidding, Sherlock," she said before she straightened in the seat behind him.

Tsubasa made a mental note to keep an eye of Hades Inc.


	11. Shenanigans on the Train

**Wander:** Kotone would probably try to murder Hikaru. XD Thanks! I'm glad you like my changes, especially Kotone. I didn't mention it before, so no worries. It's from my personal headcanon that field agents have a special sign language — inspired from TMNT.

**Lily.C:** I'm glad you like it. I hope you enjoy this one as well.

**itsbrittneybtch:** Thanks!

**Hogwartskid2147:**Thanks! I'm glad you like it. Yuu's past will be elaborated in due time, but not for a while, sorry. I really miss that era. This makes me feel old. XD

**Chapter 11: Shenanigans on the Train**

Gingka yawned as he listened to Madoka and Yuu gush over reindeers. Seriously, they'd been going over it for ages! Sure, he liked nature, but watching the real thing and watching it through a window were two complete different things. He kind of regretted waking up early. He had never slept well on trains.

"The same scenery keeps going on forever!" he said.

Up in his bunk, Masamune pounded the bed with his feet, groaning loudly. "When are we going to get to the arena?!"

Gingka flinched at the volume, looking at Masamune with wide eyes. The latter seemed to be doing rather well today, better than he had in a while. Maybe his nightmares were ending. Maybe Gingka should talk to him just in case.

Was this what being the leader was like? Gingka had never questioned his actions before, not like this.

The prospect of leading the team had seemed fun in the start, but now, Gingka wasn't sure he liked it all that much. He didn't like the responsibility that seemed to have tied itself to his friends lately. He had to constantly watch his actions and talk some sense into Yuu, Kotone and Masamune even when he wanted nothing more than to join in whatever they were doing, and he had to make sure that everyone was okay, that nothing was amiss.

Somewhere along the line, "his friends" had started turning into "his team", as if responsibility came before friendship. Gingka wasn't a stranger to the concept. When he'd been traveling around searching for a way to defeat Ryuuga, Metal Bey City was the first place he'd decided to stick around for long. Before Kenta, Madoka, Osamu, Takashi and Akira, he had gotten close to the people he'd met during his travels. Getting stronger, defeating Doji and Ryuuga and bringing back L-Drago (and Ryuuga, which wasn't a part of the mission, but he'd be damned if he gave up on his friend) was the priority. Just like how Hyoma was guarding Koma, and Kotone had been training in WBBA's military acade—

Something hit the side of his head. Gingka's hand flew up in an automatic response as the thing clattered to the ground. He picked it — a glittery pink pen cap — up and raised his head to give Kotone an unimpressed look.

Kotone gave him one in return. _"I know what you're thinking, and I don't like it,"_ her eyes seemed to be saying.

Gingka shook his head. _"Don't worry about it."_

Kotone pursed her lips. Her eyes darted around to see if anyone else had noticed, but it seemed that Masamune's ruckus — when had he come down? — covered their little exchange. Ice blue eyes resumed their glare. _"I'll throw the entire damned pen at you."_

Gingka closed his eyes and slowly opened them again, sighing as he did. _"Fine, you win. Happy, Fireball?"_

Kotone held their intense stare off for a while, before a smile melted her glare. _"What the hell ever."_

Stifling a laugh, Gingka turned his attention to the rest. Judging by Yuu and Madoka's unimpressed looks, it seemed that Gingka wouldn't mind missing half the conversation. One would think Tsubasa would have put a stop to whatever nonesense Masamune was saying this time; but then again, after what happened yesterday, Gingka wasn't sure what Tsubasa would do.

"... I want the Russian team right here!" Masamune was saying. "Team...? What was their name?"

Gingka scratched his cheek as he tried to remember. Something that started with L. "L... Lip Balm? Ling Sausage? Llama?"

"It's Lovushka." There was a peculiar distance in Tsubasa's usually exasperated tone.

Gingka frowned. Tsubasa being done with them all wasn't anything new, but this time, it felt different, like... like his mind wasn't exactly there, as if something was weighing too much on his mind for him to pay much attention to what was going on around him.

And then, there was the Dark stupid Power. If only that thing could leave them alone. Though yesterday's event had never happened with Ryuuga before, at least not until much later — like the end of the Battle Bladers later. Maybe it worked differently for different people? Or maybe it was because Tsubasa got it in a different way?

"Don't get overconfident." Gingka jumped at Tsubasa's voice. Masamune deflated a little. "The world is full of strong bladers we know nothing about, like the EU's Julian, for example."

Gingka frowned as his mind flashed back to the one-sided battle they had witnessed. Desert Blaze had crumbled under Konzern's power so easily. It had been decided from the start, what with Destroyer's dual rotation and the Eyes of Medusa.

Biting the inside of his cheeks, Gingka's gaze wandered over to Kotone. Her eyes were locked on to her tablet stubbornly, but her eyebrows were scrunched and her forehead was wrinkled as she silently bristled. Clearly, she had been listening and refused to look up.

Gingka glanced around to find Masamune and Yuu staring at Kotone as well, both in concern. Tsubasa seemed to have decided that Kotone was alright and he went back to his book, but Gingka got the feeling he wasn't really reading. His eyes were too distant, as if gazing at a scene not in front of them. His shoulders were tense — tenser than usual — his expression more guarded than it normally was.

"Just who is this Julian Kozern?" Gingka's eyes flew over to Yuu, who had turned to the ceiling with a contemplative expression. "He can't be a novice, but if he isn't a new blader, we'd have heard of him for sure. Reverse rotating beys aren't exactly common."

"Julian Konzern is the sole heir to the Konzern family," Kotone spoke up. She hadn't looked up from her tablet, but her expression was more relaxed than before. "They own the biggest business in the world and may even be the richest family in the entire world."

"How do you know that?" Masamune asked, eyebrow raised.

Kotone shot him an impatient look and turned her tablet. The screen showed an article with the family's name in the heading. The other text was too small and too dull looking for Gingka to read, but there was a picture of an awesome mansion.

"You know, it might be a good idea to look up your opponent," Kotone said. Her voice had a familiar snark in it, which relieved Gingka more than it should have. "Then again, I guess it's not too surprising you didn't think of it. You aren't exactly known for braincells."

Masamune glared at her, but it lacked the heat it usually had. Gingka glanced between them. Had something happened? "Did you just call me an idiot?"

"At least you're self aware."

"Why you..."

From the seat across Gingka, Yuu sighed. Gingka looked around, expecting to see Madoka either bristling or getting ready to shout, but the brunette was nowhere in sight. When had she...?

"Where's Madoka?"

"Huh? Oh, she left a while ago to get something to drink."

Gingka barely caught Yuu's words over Masamune and Kotone's shouting. Their words weren't even coherent now as they tried to outdo each other in volume, as if it was a competition to see who could speak the loudest. Gingka and Yuu winced, covering his ears.

Meanwhile, Tsubasa looked up from his book, giving them both an irritated look. "Quiet down, you two."

The shouting stopped. Tsubasa had that effect on people. He rarely raised his voice because his words held such an authority that you couldn't help but listen. Gingka kind of envied that about him — and Hyoma. The two could stop arguments with such ease that—

"MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, TSUBASA!"

Unfortunately, the effect didn't last that long — still, getting Kotone and Masamune to be quiet for even a few seconds was a miracle. How did Madoka do it?

Yuu and Gingka scooted to a side as Tsubasa joined in on the argument, the trio's words drowning in a sea of loud voices.

"I'll get Madoka," Yuu said.

"Hurry. Please."

o-o-o-o

That night, Gingka woke up to a freezing sensation. It was as if his nerves had been doused in cold water. He briefly wondered if Kotone and Yuu had dumped water or ice on him in the night, but he discarded that idea. His blanket would be—

Wait, his blanket!

Gingka sat up immediately. His arms were freezing and his feet felt like ice. Between his eyes, the corner of a brown blanket tangled from the upper bunk. He glared up at Masamune.

Of course Masamune had stolen his blanket! Gingka reached up to yank him awake to see how Masamune liked being woken up feeling like a popsicle. His hands stopped in midair though, almost against his will, hovering between Gingka and the blanket uncertainly before dropping to Gingka's side.

Gingka forced himself to think logically. It was entirely possible that Masamune had stolen the blanket in his sleep and wasn't even aware of it. He did tend to move around a lot in his sleep, and he was pillow hugger to boot. Surely, Masamune wouldn't have done it on purpose. Gingka could let it slide; after all, it wasn't intentional.

But what to do about the cold? He needed to get fired u—

Of course!

o-o-o-o

Gingka beamed as all six of them stood in front of the small stadium the train held for competitive bladers. The rest were less enthusiastic, Kotone muttering death threats. His cousin stomped over to Gingka, and he stepped back, suddenly remembering all the different ways you could choke someone to death — that knowledge was a by-product of growing up with her — but Tsubasa held her back.

"Tsubasa, I love you," Gingka said, only half-joking as he glanced at the struggling girl warily. "You are now my favorite person on this team."

Tsubasa rolled his eyes.

Despite the delays though, the five were soon in the middle of a battle, Madoka watching at the side. Once the beys were launched, Kotone looked much less murderous. She even had a challenging smile, so Gingka figured he could spend the night without worrying about getting killed.

"Alright, here we go!" Kotone cheered, punching the air. "Wolf!"

The ice blue bey rammed into Eagle. Then, the strangest thing happened. Eagle flew out of the dish and landed on the floor, not even putting up a fight against that simple strike.

All of them paused as the battle ceased, turning to Tsubasa who took a few steps back, looking very cornered. It was only on instinct that Gingka met Kotone's eyes. Both had only one thing in mind: the Dark stupid Power.

"Dude, what was that?" Masamune asked Tsubasa. "What's wrong with you?"

Yuu was frowning. "Battle seriously, Tsubasa."

"Is everything alright?" Madoka asked. "It looks like your heart's not in it."

Gingka opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of footsteps cut him off before he could even start. Gingka turned and then jumped at the sight.

"An alien!" Masamune said, stepping backwards with wide eyes.

"It's a kid in a space suit!" Gingka corrected him. His voice sounded more panicked than he would have liked to admit.

The kid started mumbling, his voice muffled by the barrier known as the helmet. Gingka strained to hear what he was saying, but his ears caught nothing but jargoned murmurs.

"Sorry for startling you!"

Gingka jumped backwards with a yelp, nearly bumping into the dish behind him, as a head with dark fuchsia horns materialized in front of the space suit kid. It took him a moment to realize that it was another kid, a girl in a pink space suit that lacked the helmet.

"It's what he's saying," the girl said in an abnormally high-pitched voice. She was standing right in Masamune's face, and Gingka couldn't help but felt a pang of empathy for his teammate. "Nowaguma is shy, so he keeps his helmet on. Plus, he speaks softly, so all of you, listen closely!"

Gingka blinked, trying to wrap his head around the two new arrivals. "Uh... Just one question..."

"So, who are you guys, anyways?" Masamune asked.

The girl didn't answer the question. Instead, she took out her launcher and aimed right at Masamune. "Well? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and take aim!"

The space suit kid started mumbling again, but Gingka didn't bother trying to decipher what he was saying. He attached Pegasus to his launcher when another voice spoke up.

"Cut it out, Lera. You're bothering these people." This third voice was much calmer than the first two, a better alternative to the girl's loudness and the other kid's mumbling.

From behind the door, a brunet with blue eyes hidden behind round glasses emerged. He wore an orange space suit, so Gingka figured it was probably the girl and space suit kid's friend. Was it a dress code or something?

"Hi, Alexi!" Madoka said, her voice sounding weirdly high and breathless. Gingka glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Hi!" Yuu chimed in. He looked happy to this guy, but not as excited as Madoka.

"We meet again," Alexi said in greeting as he walked up to his friends. "These two are Nowaguma and Lera. They do research with me in the SK Space Training Center."

Gingka looked at Masamune, who shrugged with a clueless expression. At least someone else was just as lost as he was. The two turned to Kotone, who just shook her head in exasperation.

"So, you're astronauts in training?" she asked Alexi.

"Yes," Alexi replied. He was much politer than his teammate, who was glaring at Masamune as if it was his fault her teammate had interrupted her challenge.

What followed Kotone's inquiry was some space mumbo-jumbo that Gingka completely tuned out. Understanding what Alexi was saying was like trying to talk to a zebra — you just couldn't do it.

The words he did understand were, "That's why we're going to battle you guys, so get ready!"

"If it's alright with you, could we get you to battle with us?" Alexi stated Lera's demand much better.

Gingka grinned. "Of course we will!" Who would be stupid enough to reject a challenge when it came on a silver platter?

He was reaching for his bey when Yuu spoke up. "Wait a minute! They have three Bladers and we have five."

Gingka paused and looked at his friends. They stared back each unsure of who would step out. Kotone's expression was resolute, and Masamune's even more so. Yuu, however, was scrutinizing Tsubasa, who seemed to be having a battle with himself.

Finally, Tsubasa said, "I'll stand down."

A brief but heavy stupor settled on the team. Gingka wanted to prod at his reasoning, but thought better of it. There was a time and place for everything, and now wasn't it.

Meanwhile, Kotone opened her mouth to say something, only to close it without a sound. Masamune crossed his arms, frowning. Yuu watched Tsubasa with a calculating look while Madoka looked on in concern.

As if he knew what was going on in their heads, Tsubasa said a tad too defensively, "Because I want Eagle to rest up for tomorrow's match."

Without waiting for a reply, Tsubasa turned and walked away. For a moment, they were all still, but then, Yuu broke into a run after him.

"Hey, wait up, Tsubasa!"

Gingka and the rest watched silently, each of them frowning at the door. Gingka's eyes met Kotone's, both making a silent promise to bring it up with Tsubasa again.

"So?" Gingka jumped at the shrill voice and spun around to meet Lera's expectant eyes. "What are we waiting for? Let's battle already!"

With a smile, Alexi translated her speech into a much politer version. "How about we start now?"

"Fine with me!" Kotone said, jogging towards the dish, Wolf already at the ready. "So, who's my opponent?"

"Hey! Who died and made you in charge?" Masamune said, though he still backed away from the dish.

Nowaguma mumbled something while holding out a red bey. Gingka strained his ears to understand him, but no dice.

Fortunately, Lera sprung ahead from Nowaguma's side and said, "Nowaguma says he's happy to go first!"

Kotone was happy to oblige. "Great, then let's get this show on the road!"

Gingka's eyes caught Madoka's calculating expression, and he smiled fondly. Madoka always had that look when she came across a new bey to examine.

"That's a Rock Orso," she said. "Be careful of its attack power."

Masamune was the one to reply. "Isn't the Rock Fusion Wheel used for defense?"

"Well, yeah," Madoka said, "but the Orso constellation is typically more inclined towards attack power than defense."

Masamune opened his mouth to say something, but the cry of, "Let it rip!" cut their conversation short.

True to Madoka's words, Orso didn't give defense a single thought and charged towards Wolf. Kotone gritted her teeth, and Gingka couldn't help but mirror the action. In attack mode, Wolf's low defense was a major liability. Knowing Kotone, she would fight force with force.

As expected, Orso was sent skidding away by a forceful push. Kotone grinned as Lera berated a startled Nowaguma.

"Alright then, Wolf, speed mode. Go!"

Though it was too fast for Gingka to see, he could imagine the twelve separate claws on Wolf's Fusion Wheel merging into three groups of four. Back when they were kids and Kotone was still figuring out all of Wolf's abilities, his dad had explained that few spaces between the claws resulted in less air friction, which gave Wolf more speed.

Gingka was jogged out of his memories by a shout of, "Wolf! Eternal—"

"Kotone!" Madoka interrupted with an alarmed look. "Don't start a blizzard in the train!"

Kotone faltered and her left hand, which was in the air, lowered. "Sorry!"

Of course, Masamune couldn't leave the opportunity without a little ribbing. "What was that you were saying earlier about braincells?"

Kotone turned to face him with a scowl. "Oh, shut up!" She then spun back, glaring at Orso as if it was the one who made a point against her. "Wolf!"

As if channeling Kotone's anger, Wolf smashed into Orso sent it flying out of the dish. Kotone's scowl morphed into a grin — one that was a little too smug, but it was nothing that would get to her head. Or at least, Gingka hoped it wouldn't.

Nowaguma mumbled something in response, and this time, Gingka managed to catch the word, "Strong," in it. He grinned, feeling oddly proud of his little cousin.

"He said he lost on purpose!" Lera said with too much anger for it to be true.

Still, Kotone didn't pay her any attention as she cheered to herself. Gingka high-fived her simply out of habit as Masamune said, "Well, that was expected."

From the sidelines, Alexi said without even a hint of patronization, "Well done, Kotone. Standing up to Nowaguma's strength like that is no small feet."

If possible, Kotone's grin widened.

Of course, Masamune and Gingka beat their opponents easily. Almost too easily, he couldn't help but think. It hadn't seemed like Lera was giving it her all, despite what her childish insistence showed, and Alexi had gone down with just one hit.

Tsubasa was always telling them to "see beyond what you see". Gingka wondered if this was a situation where it applied.

o-o-o-o

Madoka paused in her typing to check the time. Soon after the battles with Alexi and his friends, the boys had crashed. Madoka had expected Kotone to do the same given how much the thirteen year old loved her sleep, but Kotone had her attention on her tablet. Her fingers moved fast as she typed whatever she was typin—

"Dammit!" Kotone tapped the screen furiously with a scowl.

"What happened?" Madoka asked.

Kotone jumped and her head whipped towards her. Her ponytail ended up slapping her and Kotone winced. Madoka stifled a laugh. A sleep deprived Kotone could be really funny sometimes.

"Didn't think you'd be still awake," Kotone said. "Stupid autocorrect." She turned towards the tablet, glaring as though it were a naughty child — or Madoka's teammates, sans Tsubasa. There wasn't really much of a difference. "If you know so much, why don't _you_ just write everything?"

Madoka didn't even bother stifling her laughter anymore, though she did try to keep it quiet so no one else would wake up.

Kotone gave her an irritated look. "Hey, don't laugh! I'm in the middle of a crisis here!"

"Okay, okay." The words came out a little breathless as Madoka tried to stop laughing. "What are you doing anyways?"

Kotone tapped her tablet a few times and Madoka looked over her shoulder. Kotone close the Google Docs file and maximized a video that had been paused just as Sagittario and Striker collided.

"Is that the preliminary round?" Madoka asked.

Kotone nodded. "Yeah. I was thinking about how Striker can make it seem like it disappears. Do you think it could create illusions like Hikaru's special move?"

Madoka mulled over it. "I don't know about illusions, but probably after images. It'll be hard for Striker to control it's speed if it reaches that extent though. Why?"

"I was thinking of a new special move or something. Out of everyone on the team, Masamune has the least number of special moves right now. Even _I_ have more than him."

Yeah, a grand total of two. Madoka didn't say it out loud though. Kotone had a point; Masamune would need a more diverse moveset along the way.

"Doesn't Tsubasa tell you not to rely on your special moves too much?" Madoka pointed out with a grin.

Kotone rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and the guy has, like, ten or something. That kinda makes his argument weightless."

Madoka shrugged. "Fair point. About the move—"

THUMP!

Madoka jumped and Kotone swore loudly. Giving her a disapproving look, Madoka turned towards the source. Masamune had jumped from the top bunk, blanket still wrapped around him tightly. Madoka shared a look with Kotone.

Was he asleep? How did one jump in sleep? She knew about sleep-_walking_ but—?

Kotone swore and shot up from her seat. Startled, Madoka's eyes scrambled after her. Kotone's hand met the door with a loud _thunk_ and the redhead hurriedly locked it.

Good thing too, because Masamune's hand was on the handle as he feebly tugged at it and sleep-frowned.

"Hey, Masamune?" Kotone said.

No response.

"Hey!" she said, her voice harsher this time. "Hey, idiot, wake up!"

Masamune did not wake up, as if trying to show his indignation over the nickname even while asleep.

"Masamune—" Madoka began but was cut short when Kotone clapped loudly, holding her hands right in front of Masamune's face. The sound reverberated in the room, but somehow, no one woke up.

Madoka opened her mouth furiously. What was she _thinking_? Did she want to wake up everyone?

She stopped short, however, when Masamune jumped. He yelped, but it was interrupted when Kotone slapped her hand against his mouth. "Shut. Up."

Hypocrite.

Masamune stepped back and looked around, as if just realizing where he was. "Wh—What happened?"

Kotone opened her mouth to reply but Madoka caught her eyes ad gave her a warning look. "You were sleep-walking."

Masamune blinked in confusion, rubbing the back of his head. "Sleep-walk—" he paused, a look of horror overtaking his features. "I didn't... I didn't say something, right?"

Say some—?

He turned to Kotone as if he was only talking to her. Kotone was clearly avoiding Madoka's eyes as she said, "No. You didn't say anything."

Madoka watched the two in confusion. Curiosity bubbled within her, and she wanted to ask what they were hiding, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. Both would try to brush her off awkwardly and she wouldn't get to know anything.

Maybe she should ask Gingka? Kotone _did_ tell him almost everything. Or maybe Tsubasa? He had a creepy way of knowing exactly what was going on even when there was no way for him to know.

Then again, maybe it was just another secret. It probably wasn't something important, she told herself as the three of them went to bed.

If it wasn't though, why were they acting so suspicious? What could make _Masamune_ of all people nervous?

o-o-o-o

The next afternoon, the team met a (for some reason) very shocked Anton.

As if to say _Joke's on you_, he introduced Alexi and his friends as Team Lovushka.


	12. Caged Wings

**Wander:**

Glad you liked it! The humor was mostly unintentional. I hope you like this one too.

**Chapter 12: Caged Wings**

It was stupid. Discussing their battle order for the second round was stupid. They had defeated them easily before, so they could do it again. But no! They just _had_ to waste time planning when there was no need to plan in the first place!

Masamune scowled. He could bang his head on the wall right now.

"I wanna battle in this round," Gingka said. "I didn't get to do it in the first one."

Sitting on the other side of the table, Kotone rolled her eyes. She did that a lot. "Yeah, I figured as much. Hey, Madoka? Did you record the battle on the train?"

Masamune huffed silently. There was no need for that! They had defeated them easily before, so why would it be so hard now?

"It was barely a battle," Yuu said before Madoka could say anything. "Wouldn't it be kind of useless?"

"Not necessarily," Kotone said. "I mean, even something like their bey's rotation speed could be useful."

"How is rotation speed going to do anything?" Masamune couldn't help but ask.

Ice blue eyes met his own. Who knew irises could be so light? He'd seen blue eyes before, but Kotone's were a bit too pale. Didn't pale eyes mean weak eyesight or something?

"...could."

Masamune blinked. How long had she been speaking?

"From rotation speed, you can figure out how long it will take for the bey to tire out and stop on its own, and how much force you'll need to stop them." Kotone paused, eyebrows furrowed in uncertainty. She turned to Tsubasa who had been watching her carefully. "Right?"

Tsubasa nodded. "Well, there are other things like centrifugal force and mass, but basically." He seemed to think for a while. "Right now, all we know is Orso's attack power. That's it."

Kotone clicked her tongue. Probably annoyed because of the lack of information.

Masamune shrugged. "We beat them before, right? We can do it again, no problem."

Tsubasa, Kotone and Yuu all gave him deadpan looks at that. Madoka sighed as if he had said something stupid. Gingka looked kinda sheepish.

"It was too easy," Tsubasa finally said. "For a representative team, I mean. They must have been holding back on the train."

How did Tsubasa—?

"How do you know that?" Gingka asked. "You weren't even there."

Kotone scoffed. "Please. It barely took us five minutes to return. Any idiot can do the math."

Masamune's eyes met Gingka's. Obviously, they both had only one thought.

_Freaky._

"Anyways." Masamune started. Madoka was clicking away on her laptop — when did she bring that out? — completely oblivious. "In the preliminaries, Lera relied a lot on speed and precision. Her attacks are usually speedy, and she avoids unnecessary movements during battles. Every single movement contributes to some strategy, and her agility makes her hard to hit, so— Kotone, did you seriously gather all this from one battle?"

Kotone shrugged. "It's obvious when you know what to look for."

Was Masamune imagining things, or did Tsubasa just smile? He blinked, and— Nevermind, it was gone. Probably his imagination.

"Masamune." He jumped a bit, and turned to Kotone. "You can take care of Lera. With your speed, you should be able to keep up with her attacks, and with your Performance Tip, taking her by surprise should be easy. And for the love of all things beyblade, _don't_ be a dork."

Masamune scowled at her. "Yeah, yeah."

He wasn't the brightest tool in the shed, even he could admit that, but Kotone didn't have to act like he was hopeless. Sometimes, he seriously hated her.

"On the other hand," Madoka continued, "Alexi relies on complicated strategies and science in his battles. He seems to observe his opponents in the first few minutes, so taking him out then would be the best course of action." She hummed, as she often did when thinking. "Tsubasa or Yuu seem like the best opponents against him."

Masamune looked at Tsubasa. His golden eyes were sharp but distant, as if he was remembering a really bad memory. For a while, everyone was silent, and then—

"I'll leave him to you," Tsubasa said, giving Yuu a brief glance.

Yuu watched him closely, as if trying to solve a puzzle. Finally, he nodded, but with a frown. "Yeah, okay."

This thing about Tsubasa was getting really irritating.

o-o-o-o

The space shuttle was awesome. Seriously, Masamune really, really wanted to ride it. He wasn't a space fan, sure, but the rocket looked too cool to not ride it.

"If we train really hard, can we ride in that and go to space too?" Gingka asked.

Masamune nodded along because honestly, that sounded awesome. He could see himself in the rocket already, waiting for it to launch. He wouldn't wear a space suit though. At least, not the normal ones. They looked kinda lame.

"Please," a shrill voice said. Masamune turned to the source to find Lera near the door with Nowaguma. "It takes more than that to go into space. To become an astronaut, you need a lot of technical knowledge. Not to mention, you need to study space engineering, space medicine, orbital dynamics—"

Masamune let out an aggravated scream. "Stop it! It makes my head hurt just thinking about it!"

Space suddenly didn't seem like a good idea. Well, who cared about space when you could become be Number One Blader?

"Well, it would be impossible for someone with your grades," Kotone said, looking directly at Masamune.

Like she had room to talk when she didn't even go to school! "Not my fault online classes are awful."

"Excuses, excuses."

Masamune glared at her with gritted teeth. Sometimes, it felt like Kotone singled him out to annoy him. But then again, she had gotten even Gingka to yell at her at one point.

"My grades aren't even that bad!"

"You're profile begs to differ."

Masamune paused. His fists had unclenched at some point. "What file?"

Kotone shrugged. "As the manager, I was given record of your grades, health record, career track and anything else that could affect your performance."

Before Masamune could reply to that, Lera said, "What do you mean "manager"?"

Kotone shrugged again. "I'm basically like, an informant and tactician for the team or something like that. It's kinda multipurpose. It's not really a big deal. There are like, three teams with a manager in the entire tournament, us included."

"So, it's kind of like Anton, right?"

"You bet."

o-o-o-o

Tuning out the audience was always easy. Being aware of your surroundings was all about being able to filter out the important things from the rest of the observations. For a field agent, that skill was one of the most important things. If you couldn't tell what was useful and what was filler observation, you just couldn't survive in field.

"Man, they're so loud," Kotone complained, covering her ears.

She would learn in time. She was a prodigy for a reason, after all. Tsubasa used to have moments like that too when he started out — more than he would like to admit. Kotone had been recently promoted to a field agent, so it was no wonder she was struggling with what to observe.

With her though, the problem was more than just experience. It was her age too. Thinking like a professional at the age of thirteen, when her career had just started... it was difficult. To be an agent at her age required a lot of mental strength and balance, far more than Kotone had, whether she liked to admit it or not.

That had been the main problem in their first assignment. Tsubasa hadn't seen her as a kid in an adult's position; he'd seen a coworker who didn't have the skills and mentality of an agent, and that had irked him the most about her. He'd seen the child in her, but not the adult. He hadn't seen it until he had found her having a breakdown over her parents' deaths.

She had been a child back then, and she was one even now, but she was also an adult who had been through more than most. She didn't need someone to coddle her, but she also didn't need to have to do everything on her own. Perhaps that was why he'd stuck around even after the assignment — just like how he had with Yuu. Even among special agents — and the exact opposites, balders for hire, for that matter — Kotone was an anomaly.

She was one even as a person.

A child and an adult.

"For this match, we will have a no stadium out complete defeat rule!"

Tsubasa turned his attention back to the matter at hand: Gingka's battle.

"Complete defeat rule?" Madoka repeated, her voice laced with confusion.

"The stadium isn't designed for that," he said, more to himself than to her.

Had they changed the stadium? No, they would have been informed if there was a specific condition. But why would the officials make such a decision on a whim? What could make them take such a sudden decision?

He caught sight of Kotone's frown and suspicious eyes, and he couldn't help but smile a little at that. She had already come far from the rookie she used to be only a few months ago.

The stadium showed up, and so did a gigantic cage that encased Gingka and Nowaguma inside. Tsubasa frowned. Pegasus wouldn't be able to use its special move in the limited space, so that was one big asset out. How it would affect Nowaguma remained to be seen. The constellation wasn't one that would rely on aerial attacks, but the world was full of surprises.

"Hey!" Yuu said. "That's so unfair! Pegasus can't use Star Booster Attack like this!"

"Isn't there a rule against this or something?" Masamune asked with a scowl.

"No," Kotone said. Her eyes had a calculating look as she observed the set-up. "As long as the conditions for both bladers are the same, any modification can apply."

"But the conditions aren't the same!" Madoka said. "Pegasus is the only one who's restricted."

"Not necessarily," Tsubasa said. "Neither Orso not Pegasus can use airborne attacks, and both of them are confined within the boundaries, so the conditions are the same. How they use those conditions is up to the blader, not the bey."

"But..." Madoka trailed off, clearly unsure of what to say to that.

"Think of it this way. All beys are individualized, whether through the constellation or the parts. If we had to level the conditions absolutely, we'd have nothing short of providing them with standard beys. That's why, when the tournament officials think of stabilizing the advantage, they look at the stadium instead of the beys."

"Still," Kotone said. "It's strange, isn't it?"

"What's strange?" Yuu asked.

Kotone opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, Gingka and Nowaguma launched their beys. So instead, she said, "Gingka! Don't forget to avoid the cage!"

"I know!" Gingka called back without turning.

"Yeah, and you'll forget it in a minute," Kotone muttered.

Tsubasa didn't disagree with that. Gingka _did_ think during a battle, but he also tended to forget obvious things. Especially since he had gotten Galaxy Pegasus. Every battle Gingka won had Star Booster Attack used at some point. While he wasn't as reliant on it as some other people Tsubasa had seen — looking at you, Kotone — it was his go-to strategy almost all the time.

Pegasus wasted no time in attacking Orso, but the hits weren't having any damage at all. Pegasus broke apart and circled around for a while, building momentum for the attack, and dashed towards Orso again, but the other bey remained at the center without budging at all, almost like an iron wall.

"Whoa! Orso's defense power is even higher than it's attack power!" Madoka said.

"Told you the Rock Fusion Wheel is defensive," Masamune said.

"So, it's a defense type?" Kotone said, sounding surprised for some reason. "But... It's a _bear_! How can it _not_ be an attack type?"

It was hard not to face-palm at that, because _really_? Kotone never ceased to amaze him.

Light entered his peripheral vision, and he turned towards the stadium to find Pegasus being electrocuted by the mesh wall of the cage.

"What is that?!" Yuu asked.

"Electric current," Madoka replied without taking her eyes off of the scene.

Pegasus landed back in the stadium, fortunately still spinning. On Gingka's command, Pegasus surged forward and managed to hit Orso, the latter hitting the wall and falling back in.

But most importantly, no current.

"Okay, this is just getting ridiculous," Kotone said.

She grabbed Masamune's wrist and dragged him along, ignoring his yelp. Tsubasa glanced at Yuu and Madoka, but they didn't seem to have noticed, entranced by the battle. Kotone tapped his shoulder twice, rapidly.

He wasn't sure if she saw it or not, but he nodded in reply anyways. He just had to keep an eye on the stadium.

o-o-o-o

"So, where are we going?" Masamune asked once Kotone stopped dragging him.

They were moving through the corridors of the stadium, but Masamune had never been in the underground level of any stadium. It was dark, but Kotone didn't turn on any lights. He kind of wished she did; that would make it seem less like they weren't supposed to be there.

"Something's up," Kotone replied.

"Well, duh," Masamune said, rolling his eyes. "That cage just shot lightning."

Kotone spun around with a hard look. It wasn't the one she had when angry at him. It was the one he had noticed on her _and_ Tsubasa sometimes, like when discussing training plans or strategies against opponents.

"It didn't when Orso hit the wall. It happened only with Pegasus. Besides, the WBBA would have informed both teams before applying a condition, so something's up. Also, Anton's not up there with his team."

Looking back, she was right. Anton hadn't been there at all.

Suddenly, Kotone smiled. "Ever wondered where the stadium comes from?"

Masamune blinked. "Kind of. Why?"

"At the end of this corridor, take a right and enter the third room. That's the control room."

"How do you know this?"

She rolled her eyes. "Gee, I wonder. It's not like I freaking _work_ in the WBBA or anything."

So, the layout was the same for every WBBA building.

Before he knew it, Kotone was handing him a device. "It's a voice recorder," she said. "Go in there, and if you find anyone, act dumb and get them to explain why the cage was spouting lightning. Oh, and make sure they don't catch on."

She jogged towards the door they had entered from,

Masamune turned around and called, "Hey! Where are you going?!"

"To get someone!" she called back without turning.

Masamune stood there for a while. To get who, exactly? Well, it was none of his business. He just had to do what she had said.

He followed the directions and found the room, only to gape inside. There was a complicated set of wires attached to the ceiling, and he could hear the sound of beys clashing.

Was... Was he _under_ the stadium?

Okay, he _had_ to get Kotone to give him a tour of the whole WBBA building at some point.

"This is way too easy."

Masamune started and turned towards the source of the voice. There was Anton messing with the controls. Well, that was easy.

Act dumb, huh? Knowing Kotone, that basically meant act clueless. He could do that. Not very hard when he really had no idea what was going on.

He pressed record on the voice recorder and walked forward. Anton didn't notice him even when Masamune was behind him, so he tapped his shoulder.

Anton turned around as fast as he probably could and yelped when he saw who it was.

"Hey, uh..." Masamune trailed off. He needed an excuse, damnit. "Could you tell me where the stadium is?"

Okay, so he basically got lost. That's his story. Okay. So, why did he get lost? Because... Because he went to the toilet and forgot the way back. Alright, that sounded good enough.

"Masamune Kadoya," Anton said through gritted teeth. "You've come to discover the truth about the stadium, haven't you?"

Well, shit.

"Uh... No?"

Masamune mentally face-palmed. Really? Real subtle, Masamune. That's not suspicious at all.

"...and— What are you hiding?"

Masamune jumped. Shit, the recorder. "Nothing?" Anton looked at him suspiciously. Was Masamune the dumb one for dropping all those hints or Anton for not picking them up? "So, what was that about the stadium?"

Anton froze. "Nothing, I never mentioned the stadium."

Well, that explained a lot.

"No, you said something. Something about current." At least, Masamune _hoped_ that's what he'd said.

Anton scowled. "So, you've figured out how he current is controlled and traced it back here. Well done. And yes, your suspicions are correct. _I_ am the one controlling it all."

Oh. So _that_ was what was going on.

Suddenly, there was a bey pointing in his face. Masamune couldn't launch Striker without giving away the recorder.

He didn't have to either, it seemed. Before Masamune even registered it, officials barged in, and Kotone's Wolf totaled Anton's whatever it was bey.

Masamune stepped back and let those guys take care of the blabbering idiot. Something tapped his shoulder, and he turned to find Kotone looking at him with a big smile.

"Put it there, partner," she said, holding up a hand.

Masamune grinned and high-fived her, the sound echoing in the room.

o-o-o-o

Gingka was getting really annoyed. Orso kept attacking Pegasus, and he couldn't do much because of that stinking cage! It was like that time when he and Hyoma first battled in the Green Hades. It was such a stupid disadvantage, and...

Wait, what was that his dad had said back then?

_"It's only a disadvantage as long as you see it that way."_

Okay, so if he stopped seeing the cage as a disadvantage, then there was... There was nothing. He couldn't use his aerial moves and—

Wait. He had that other special move too. He had never tried it with Galaxy Pegasus, but if Strom Pegasus was based on Galaxy Pegasus, he should be able to pull it off.

"I've got an idea!" he said. "Go, Pegasus!"

Pegasus circled around Orso for the millionth time, only this time, it didn't attack. Pegasus dissolved into a familiar blue blur and the stadium turned into a glowing blue vortex. Madoka gasped and said something, but Gingka couldn't hear what.

"Pegasus! Storm Bringer!"

Who said he had to touch the cage to break it?

o-o-o-o

Anton's antics caused such a big scandal that Masamune kind of wanted to punch him in the face. And the number of interviews after they had announced that they wanted to continue the second round anyways! Seriously, it was like they spoke one language and the press spoke another.

"Why is it that you don't blame Team Lovushka for that obvious cheating?"

Masamune almost groaned, but Tsubasa kicked his foot under the press conference table. So, he shot him a glare before answering, "Because there's nothing to blame. They had a crappy manager and he got kicked out, that's that."

The interviewer blinked, as if he was surprised by something. "Um... Alright, then. So, the second battle is on?"

Masamune grinned. It was his battle, and he would totally outshine Gingka breaking the cage inside out. "You bet it is."

o-o-o-o

**I don't even know if this is in character anymore. Oops. How was this chapter?**

**On another note, why do reviews show two to three days later from the date written on them on my device? **


	13. An Unexpected Series of Events

**Guest:**

Well, read and find out.

**Wander:** Thanks! Your reviews always make my day. By "play dumb", Kotone actually meant "just do whatever it takes to make him spill," but she certainly didn't mean like this. XD Thanks again!

**Lily.C:** I was gonna say, "Was it really that obvious?" but then I remembered that I gave it away in the first chapter A/N, lol. Honestly, I can't wait to get to that part either.

**Yuu101cutie:** It's fine, you have a life outside of reviewing too, after all. With Gingka and Kotone, it's the same, along with the whole "raised together in the same house" thing, so you weren't too far off. It's fine, no worries. Time zones could be it. Actually, I think that's really it. Thanks!

Thanks for clearing that up! I have been trying to incorporate some original elements in this story, so comparing it with canon probably isn't the wisest choice. With Masamune, the major character development will happen once he regains his memories and I honestly can't wait to get to that part. If nothing else, at least I got Gingka and Yuu right. " I read this fic the other day that exp!ained Masamune's thinking process really well. He seem to notice a lot (that thing with Da Shan in episode... 6? 7?) but he can't focus on it for too long before something else grabs his attention.

Glad you liked it. I actually remember MFB and Inazuma Eleven a little _too_ well, but that's probably because I've watched it so much, I can actually recite some of the dialogues from the top of my head. In the original, Masamune got to the stadium with the help of some pilot guys and was trying to locate the stadium but ended up finding Anton.

Yuu went to talk to Tsubasa, but it's ultimately not that important to the story, so I didn't include it. But seriously, these two are one of my favorite friendships in MFB. With Kotone and Masamune, I was actually going for "friends who fight so much that they don't seem like friends unless you know them well". Wait, really? Guess you learn someting new everyday. In the story, I'll just chalk it up to Kotone and Madoka's kimited knowledge about these kind of things (because really, they have no reason to know this).

Thanks for the thorough review; I really appreciate it.

**I think I should out trigger warnings for this chapter, 'cause there's a sort of a mental breakdown scene. Actually, I should put it in the description for the future chapters. Why didn't I do that before?**

**Chapter 13: An Unexpected Series of Events**

Gah! It was so tiring! Masamune wanted to go out there and defeat Lera _now_!

The Anton scandal postponed the match to next week so the officials could be sure that there were no traps. It was kind of stupid because they let him cheat in the first place. And now, he couldn't battle and totally outshine Gingka for three more days!

How did that guy cause all this trouble even _after_ being arrested?

"Kotone, Masamune," Tsubasa said before breakfast that day. "I want you both out now. You too, Madoka."

Masamune blinked. What? Why was Tsubasa being so... Secret Agent Tsubasa? "Why?"

Tsubasa didn't reply as he immediately shot up from his chair and left, Madoka trailing behind him. Kotone scowled at the closing door with an insane amount of hatred before following, muttering death threats. Masamune glanced at the clock. Nine. No wonder she was ticked off. Kotone hated being woken up before twelve.

Masamune turned to the other two. "What was _that_ all about?"

Yuu and Gingka shrugged before following them out, so Masamune decided to do the same.

He had expected it to be important, but he hadn't expected a beydish with Kotone standing and one end. He had her launcher — ice blue and not pink, surprisingly — in one hand while the her other rested rested on her hip.

"Well?" she demanded. "Take aim, already." She sounded much happier now that there was a battle to look forward to.

Masamune blinked. "What?" Were they... Were they battling?

Tsubasa, who was standing at a side with his arms crossed, said, "Lera's battle style focuses on precision and agility. Kotone is the best person who can train you for that."

"Aww," Kotone said with a grin, "I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said about me."

Tsubasa didn't dignify that with a response. He did give her his signature,_ "Don't mess around," _look, to which Kotone deflated a little. She almost looked... disappointed?

Whatever, none of his business.

Masamune readied Striker with a grin. "Ready to lose?"

Kotone grinned back, looking much like a competitive wolf. "You wish."

"Don't forget the purpose of this," Tsubasa said.

Kotone rolled her eyes at the same time as Masamune. "Yeah, yeah," she said.

"Let it rip!"

Wolf and Striker landed in the dish at the same moment.

"Go, Striker!"

Striker charged forward with an attack while Wolf made a beeline for the center. Masamune mustered all his strength for the attack, but just as Striker was about to hit Wolf, the latter moved to a side just enough to avoid the attack. Striker shot past it and hit the other side of the dish.

Masamune gritted his teeth. What was she running away for? "What's the big deal?"

Kotone raised an eyebrow. "What, you expect me to willingly get hit? What do you take me for, exactly?"

"Try running from this, then. Striker!"

Striker charged again, and Wolf dodged once more. Masamune tapped his foot on the ground. Damnit!

Suddenly, Wolf moved and hit Striker from behind. Masamune yelped as his bey become airborne and sighed in relief when it landed to a side.

"Ah, shoot!" Kotone said. "That was supposed to end it!"

"Like I'm going down from an attack like that," Masamune shot back.

"Hey!" Yuu said from the sidelines. Masamune glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. The kid was standing on his toes, peering at Madoka's laptop. "Wolf has an Eternal Sharp Performance Tip too!"

"Pay attention, Masamune!" Tsubasa said, and Masamune jumped.

He turned his attention back to the battle, where Striker was at Wolf's mercy. He gritted his teeth and gave Kotone his best accusatory look. Who the heck attacked someone when they weren't looking?

"Hey, what gives? You know I wasn't ready."

Kotone shrugged. "Life's a bi— uh, nevermind." She glanced at Tsubasa warily, who was suddenly glaring at her like the angry mother of an endangered chick or something. "You snooze, you lose. Go, Wolf! Tear him apart!"

Shit! Now wha—

Wait a second. He still had that move!

Wolf charged forward with a decisive blow, but Striker moved away at the last second. To a spectator, it would have appeared like Striker just disappeared.

He glanced at Kotone. She had a mildly surprised look, but nothing he had been hoping for.

Striker reappeared behind Wolf to attack. Masamune grinned. No way they were dodging that.

However, Wolf just moved out of the way and Striker barely skidded to a stop near the edge.

"Huh? How-?"

"Not a bad tactic," Kotone commented. "But it won't always work. Striker disappeared from sight, but I could still hear it. You have to remember that sight isn't the only asset you have in battles."

From the corner of his eyes, Masamune saw Tsubasa nod in approval.

Masamune gritted his teeth. He would get her. Her would get her so hard, she wouldn't know what hit her. But despite all his attempts, Striker just couldn't seem to hit Wolf at all. It kept disappearing and reappearing, but Wolf always seemed to know where it was.

"You know, this is just getting tiring," Kotone said.

Masamune glared at her. "Shut up. Striker!"

Wolf dodged one more time. Of course it did.

"Masamune, you have to think," Madoka said.

"Yeah," Yuu added, "you can't just rush forward and hope for a hit. It doesn't work that way."

Gingka was frowning at the battle without saying a word, and somehow, his silence was worse than any word he could have said.

Masamune ground his teeth as hard as he could. He could think during a battle; of course he could! But what was the point of being all slow when you could just push through anything your opponent threw at you?

Kotone had an eyebrow raised, eyes judgemental. He could imagine someone else in her place, one of those bullies he had fought with Zeo and Toby when they were kids. Maybe the comparison wasn't fair, but Kotone's look reminded him of that time and all the other times someone pulled that holier than thou crap on him.

They wanted him to switch tactics? Fine then.

Striker went still at the center.

Kotone blinked as Wolf hovered around his bey warily. The others had gone silent, sharing confused glances. Even Tsubasa had uncrossed his arms, which spoke volumes of his surprise.

"No idea what he's planning, but..." he heard Kotone mutter. She had narrowed her eyes, as if solving a math equation. "Wolf!"

This time, Wolf was the one who attacked. Masamune waited as Wolf came closer... closer... closer... They were about to collide, and that was his cue.

Striker disappeared mere inches away from Wolf, reappearing behind the latter.

"What?" Kotone said, her expression containing nothing but shock.

Masamune grinned. "Special move! Striker!"

"Shit!"

"Lightning Sword Flash!"

Thunder surrounded Striker as it's speed picked up. The clash was inevitable, and Wolf had no way to escape-

Except for returning into Kotone's hand, still spinning for a while before stopping. Her white fingerless glove smoked from the friction.

Masamune blinked. Blinked again. And then...

"WHAT?!"

Kotone grinned, looking just a little sheepish. "I'm hungry. Let's battle after breakfast."

Masamune glared at her as she ran towards the hotel. Just who did that little rat think he was? He would beat her into the ground the next time they battled.

o-o-o-o

Somehow, the next few days passed in a blur. Between battling Kotone, training and getting lectures from Madoka about overworking their beys, there was too much to do and think about to worry about the time.

He hated to admit it, but Kotone was good, and she was a great teacher too. Or would be if she stopped treating it as play time. It wasn't that she wasn't serious about training; she just... She just seemed to bounce between being serious and professional, and acting more like a kid than freaking Yuu. It was weird, but Tsubasa and Gingka acted as if it was normal for her to be this way.

Maybe that was why it made sense for her to say, "If you lose this match, I'm taking all your snack for the week."

He just rolled his eyes and said, "I won't lose. Not now, not ever."

That belief didn't change even when he saw Lera's determined look and fiery eyes, nor when he heard the crowd's blatantly one-sided cheers for his opponent.

"Ready to lose, Blade Boy?"

"I will never, ever lose. Wanna know why? Because I'm gonna be the world's strongest blader."

And he would. No doubt about that.

"Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"

Striker immediately shot for the center. Lera's bey — Rock Scorpio, Madoka had said — circled around. She made no movement without a plan, huh? Well, there was a thing about plans. They didn't always work.

"What, not gonna move?" Lera said.

"Why don't you make me?" he shot back.

She gave him a grin that clearly said, _"Challenge accepted."_ "You're gonna regret that. Scorpio!"

Scorpio attacked but Striker didn't even budge. Masamune blinked. Was that all her strength? This was going to be way too easy.

"That all you got?" Why had he been taking this so seriously?

Lera didn't reply, instead muttering to herself. Masamune tried to catch what she was saying, but he couldn't. For someone as loud as Lera, this was weird.

"Whatever," he said to himself. "Striker! Send 'em flying!"

Striker was on the attack, delivering one striker after another. The barrage, it seemed, was more than Scorpio could handle. It was soon at the edge, barely keeping itself in as Striker attacked non-stop.

"As expected." Masamune looked up when he hear Lera say that. "Striker's main strength is in its attack power. We can't afford to hold back at all. Scorpio!"

Striker collided with Scorpio once more, only this time, Scorpio was barely affected. It was Striker that was thrown back.

Masamune blinked. "Huh? What gives?"

"Of course!" Madoka said loud enough for him to hear. "Scorpio's a defense type!"

Right. _Rock_ Scorpio. He was such an idiot.

Distantly, he heard Kotone deadpan something about scorpions, attacks and poison, but Masamune ignored her. He had his hands full with Scorpio delivering attack after attack without letting him even breathe. It was attacking from all directions, so he couldn't pull the disappearing trick. There wasn't enough room to power up for his special move either. What could he do?

His fists clenched at his sides. How would he get out of that?

Oh, screw it. Planning had never helped him before and it wouldn't help him now.

"Get out of there, Striker!"

"It's no use," Lera said, smirking as if she had already won the whole thing.

Despite her words though, he managed to find an opening — a small, almost unnoticeable one — and Striker somehow escaped before Scorpio could hit it again.

Masamune felt some of the tension leave his shoulders as he sighed in relief.

"Get away from there, Masamune!" Tsubasa called out.

Like hell was running away.

Striker reappeared behind Scorpio — Masamune ignored the groans from his teammates - and rushed forward to attack. It was going to hit— but Scorpio dodged. It. Freaking. Dodged.

How...?

Masamune barely noticed as Scorpio had Striker at its mercy again, only blinking dimly at the scene. His fists clenched at his side and— Gah! He really needed to cut his nails. His teeth ground automatically, harder than they ever had before.

"Damnit! Striker!"

Striker managed to brave through the attack. Scorpio slowed to a halt, as if surprised.

"Go, get her," he had meant to say, but it came out as a mutter.

Striker responded anyways and charged forward, but Scorpio still dodged.

"Don't let her get away!"

But it was no use. Striker kept attacking, but Scorpio kept dodging — those weird limited yet effective movements were started to become annoying. He could hear his teammates speak, but he couldn't hear the words. And... Was Lera really talking, or was he hearing things in all these voices?

"Gah!" he shouted after the fifth — or was it sixth? — time. "Why isn't it working?!"

"Calm down, Masamune!" Tsubasa said.

He barely heard Kotone and Yuu shout in agreement, but he did hear Madoka say, "If this goes on, Striker will be finished."

"Masamune!" Gingka shouted, his voice taking a tone of urgency. "You _have_ to calm down!"

Gritting his teeth, he spun around. "Easy for _you_ to say!"

Shit. He... hadn't meant to do that.

"The battle's here, Blade Boy!" Lera said, and he swiveled to face her. "What will you do now?"

_"What will you do, Masamune?"_

He gasped. It was... It was that voice. Why was he hearing it now? What was...?

No! He had to focus on the battle.

He could see the pieces of Striker's Fusion Wheel being chipped off from the damage it was taking. He gritted his teeth and— His head was pounding. Why was it pounding?

Black dots covered his vision and he blinked rapidly, face scrunching as he tried to get over it. He stumbled a little and— Where did the ground go? It had been right there a minute ago.

Lera was saying something, but he couldn't understand. He felt like throwing up.

_"You will never be able to take control of the Dark Power."_

Masamune shivered. When did it get cold?

_"I will have no choice but to find a different pawn."_

His head was going to explode.

_"Failure is not an option for you, Masamune."_

Everyone was shouting. Why were they shouting?

_"Do not disappoint me. I am not someone you want as an enemy."_

Where did the air go? Oh, shit. He was... He was in another one of those tests, right? And... And he was failing.

No. He couldn't fail. He couldn't.

_"In the event that you fail—"_

No. No, no, no, no.

_"Do not forget that I have another candidate."_

No, no, no, no,_ nononononono**nonono!**_

o-o-o-o

Something was wrong. Something was awfully wrong with the way Masamune had suddenly tensed. His shoulders hitched as if he was having trouble breathing and that was just so _wrong_.

"Wha-What's up with him?" Yuu asked. Gingka hadn't heard him sound this scared since right after his run from the Dark Nebula.

His hands felt cold. He unclenched his fists from the railing.

"Masamune..." Madoka murmured, her voice dripping with worry.

Tsubasa was frowning — almost glaring — at the stadium. Gingka glanced at him, not sure what he would find, but... Tsubasa looked like he had an idea of what was going on. Of course he did. He had an uncanny way of knowing whenever something was up with them.

Next to Gingka, Kotone clicked her tongue. "That's it, I'm pulling him out of here."

"I'm coming too," he said, almost before he even knew it.

She made to move towards the beydish, and not even Tsubasa or Madoka stopped her. Gingka followed, but what happened next stopped them all in their tracks.

Masamune screamed.

His voice echoed in the now silent stadium, and- How could someone sound so afraid? How could _Masamune_ sound afraid, let alone this much?

Gingka stood still, as if the sound had stunned him. He... He was shaking. Why was he shaking?

Kotone and — Tsubasa? — rushed forward, but Gingka barely saw it. Something clamped around his wrist, and he turned to find Yuu. The kid's eyes were wide and Gingka hadn't ever seen him so easy to read. He was scared. They all were.

But not as much as Masamune. That just wasn't possible.

o-o-o-o

Kotone was pacing. She always did that when she was worried or angry or in agent mode or waiting for something or- Okay, she just paced a lot. Gingka made no move to stop her. Actually, he made no move period. Sitting on the hospital's waiting room chair, he was just as frozen as metal in winter. Like the chair he was sitting on.

Yuu was sitting next to him, not swinging his legs like he always did to annoy Madoka. On his other side, Madoka shifted for the millionth time, but no one commented on it. Tsubasa hadn't even bothered with sitting, instead opting to lean against the wall with his eyes closed. Madoka didn't scold him for that as she often did — "It's probably covered in germs, Tsubasa," she would say.

Gingka glanced at the door. What was taking so long? Why had it come to this? What had been bothering Masamune so much that... that _this_ happened?

Why hadn't he done anything? He had just frozen up completely. Dammit! He was supposed to be the leader! He... It was his _duty_ to take care of the others, and he _knew_ duty all too well. His trip around the country to bring back L-Drago and Ryuuga was too clear in his mind even now, an entire year later.

He'd been trying his best to be a good leader, but he couldn't manage that. Not like how Tsubasa or even Kotone always knew what the best decision was. Not like how Madoka could keep them on track when they got carried away with something. Not like how even Masamune and Yuu could at least _take_ a decision, no matter how horrible.

He was just the leader because of the Battle Bladers. Not because he was good at it. He wasn't the leader his team needed him to be.

Gingka jumped when the door opened. One of the doctors — Russian names were hard to remember — stepped in.

Immediately, all three of them shot to their feet. Kotone stopped pacing and Tsubasa stood up straight, all their attention fixed on the man in front of them.

Madoka asked the first question. "Is he okay?"

The doctor smiled tiredly. "Yes, he's just resting. He should be fine after some sleep."

Sleep. Gingka had _known_ Masamune wasn't sleeping well. He hadn't wanted to accidentally push him away by talking about it, but he should have brought it up. All this could have been prevented if he had.

"What happened to him?" Yuu asked.

"It seems he has been taking too much stress about something. And not sleeping well." The doctor frowned. "Did he ever seem stressed or worried to you about something?"

And that was the point. Masamune didn't stress about things. He didn't worry about them either. He took things as they came an pushed through whatever problem he came across. Worrying about something just wasn't like him.

"I... I don't think so," Madoka said. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she thought about it. "Masamune isn't the type to worry about things or hiding them. But... It would explain a lot. He _has_ been acting weird lately."

"Yeah. He's been up late at night," Yuu said. Gingka raised an eyebrow at that. "I think he's been having nightmares."

"I see. Well, we'll inform you once he wakes up. For now, you should all head back. You're probably tired."

Yuu had a defiant expression on his face. It came as no surprise that he said, "I'm not leaving!" At Madoka's look, he said, "I'm not!"

"Yeah, me neither," Kotone said, arms crossed.

"Don't be stupid," Tsubasa said. "Staying here won't do anything. Right now, there is nothing we can do except wait."

Kotone scowled at him. Gingka knew her well enough to know what she wanted, _"I'm not listening to you and there's nothing you can do to change my mind."_

He'd received that look a lot. Like the time he was leaving Koma Village to track down Ryuuga alone. That had been the worst case of Kotone's metaphorical, _"Screw your opinion. I can do what I want."_

He honestly couldn't tell what Tsubasa's expression meant, but it was clearly not one of agreement.

Kotone huffed and stomped her foot, but she also broke the stare off. That was her, _"Fucking fine, but FYI, I'm not happy about it."_

Tsubasa nodded, and that was that.

o-o-o-o

When they reached the hotel room — after being questioned by a really worried Lovushka — they were greeted by the sound of a ringtone. Masamune's ringtone. He must have left his phone behi— There it was, next to the TV.

Gingka grabbed it. The caller ID read, _"Dungeon Sherlock."_

Should he attend or just let it ring until it went silent? No, the second one sounded too unfair, especially if it was a friend. And... Hadn't Masamune mentioned one of his friends being called the reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes or something?

He attended the call and held the phone to his ear.

"Masamune, this is my _tenth call_," came an irritated yet worried voice from the other side. "Are you okay? What happened out there?"

"Uh..." Gingka cleared his throat. "Uh, Masamune isn't here right now. I'm his teammate, Gingka."

There was a pause on the other side. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah. The doctor—"

"_Doctor?_"

Gingka paused for a moment. "Uh, yeah. Anyways, he said that Masamune just needs to rest or something. He's... been having nightmares recently."

"And let me guess. He hasn't been sleeping and pretended he was fine until he literally collapsed."

It wasn't a question, but Gingka said anyways, "Yeah. How did you—?"

"Please." Gingka could practically _hear_ the eye-roll. Being Kotone's cousin did that to you. "We practically grew up together. It's just typical of him."

"Oh." There was a pause that felt a tad too awkward for Gingka's liking. "So, do you need me to take a message or something?"

"Tell him to call me when he wakes up." There was another pause. "Oh, and tell him to take care of himself_ or else_."

Masamune's friend left the threat at that, but Gingka got the message. "Will do. Oh, and before you hang up, can I at least know your name?"

"I'm Zeo."

Oh, right. He knew that name. "Thanks. Masamune mentioned you and... Toby, right?"

"Yeah. Do I even _want_ to know my name in his contacts?"

"Dungeon Sherlock."

Zeo sighed. "Figures."

o-o-o-o

"Zeo, I'm _fine_," Masamune said for the millionth time.

"Oh, sure. It's not like you literally collapsed or something."

Masamune sighed. He had almost forgotten one thing about Zeo. If you did something stupid which got you in trouble, he would be so passive-agressive and still manage to act like a mother. It was lucky Toby hadn't been the one to call first. He was the literal definition of "Tiger Mom". Or "Tiger Dad".

No, wait. Coach Steel would be the Tiger Dad.

Whatever, just forget about it. It was a weird thought.

"...ously," Zeo was saying. "Even Toby never pulled this kind of crap and he's been sick for ages."

"How is he now?" Masamune asked.

"Getting better," came the clipped reply. "Not that having a near heart attack has been any help. And don't change the subject!"

Well, there went that idea.

Masamune sighed. "Zeo, I'm _fine_," he said for the millionth time.

"Like hell you are. And even if you are, you won't be once I'm through with you."

There was some background noise, as if someone was talking.

"Yeah, okay," Zeo said in reply to whoever it was. "Coach wants to talk to you."

Well, shit.

o-o-o-o

Masamune turned off his phone with a sigh. Those had been three of the most exhausting conversations he had ever had. If Zeo had been angry, Toby had been downright _mad_, and Coach had been freaking ballistic.

He could almost see Zeo _still_ not being satisfied and ranting to an amused Toby. "He's so freaking _stupid_!" Zeo would say. "I mean, who does that? Seriously!"

Then, he would suddenly get up, and Toby would get confused for a while before it would click but he would still ask just to be sure. "Where are _you_ going?"

"To get him some freaking common sense," Zeo would say as if it was obvious.

And then, Toby would try to stop him, but end up going along with whatever Zeo was planning, and Masamune would have to deal with _two_ friends acting like his mother, and—

"Masamune, are you...? Are you _crying_?"

"No."

He wiped his eyes furiously, heat rising to his cheeks. At least it was just Madoka. If it had been Yuu or Kotone, he would never have heard the end of it, and Gingka would become such a sap about it, and Tsubasa just wouldn't _get_ it. Or maybe he would. You never knew with Tsubasa.

Madoka rested a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. I get it."

If his eyes stung even more after that, it was no one's business.

o-o-o-o

I still think this is a bad idea," Tsubasa said.

Masamune rolled his eyes. "Dude, you need to hang out with people who are not you pet eagle."

Tsubasa opened his mouth to retort, but he was cut off by Yuu saying, "I get to pick the movie!"

"No fair, I wanted to do that!" Kotone whined.

Gingka laughed a little. "We could watch both. Which one did you want to see?"

"Heaven's Feel."

Gingka's smile faltered. "Fate: Stay Night?" Kotone nodded. "Doesn't that movie have someone eating another person or something? Along with... other things."

Gingka's expression told him that he did not want to see that movie or know what those other things were.

"Kotone!" Madoka said.

Tsubasa didn't bother with that. Instead, he took a cushion and hit her on the face with it. The scene was so comical that Masamune couldn't help but laugh.

"Fine, I'll just watch it with Hikaru," Kotone said with an eye-roll. "And you!" She turned to him. "Quit laughing!"

"Make me!" He stuck out his tongue at her.

Kotone bristled at that and moved towards him — probably to hit him — but Yuu cut through the argument with his announcement of, "This one!"

Downloading the movie was easy. Setting the laptop screen so that all six of them could watch was not so easy. Still, by the end of the movie, Yuu had fallen asleep on somehow both Tsubasa _and_ Masamune, and Kotone was dozing off with her head resting on Gingka's shoulder.

It reminded him of the movie nights at the Dungeon Gym — minus the whole convicing Coach that the gym wouldn't end up being used as a stadium, which it always did anyways. It reminded him of the feeling of spending time and laughing with Toby, Zeo and the rest, and of simply being with his family.

It was a sappy thought, but it was one of those moments that Masamune wouldn't trade for the world.

o-o-o-o

**I should probably not build all your expectations up with these quick updates, but I literally have nothing else to do right now. Anyways, I wanted to ask something. Which characters on the team have interacted the least by now, outside of battles? I think it's Kotone and Yuu, Masamune and Madoka, and Masamune and Yuu, but I'm not so sure.**


	14. Tag, We're It

**Wander:**

I'm sorry! But hey, at least I don't have any warnings for this chapter. I can't reveal everything now, now can I? But no, Masamune isn't infected with the Dark Power. I'm not that cruel. My favorite part was thewhole Team Dungeon thing and the ending scene Honestly, it's the same with me. My favorite characters always _have_ to suffer. I have plans for Kotone and Yuu, but that won't happen for a while, sorry! But I hope this chapter can make up for it.

**Yuu101cutie****:** It's fine. You know, you are close to what will happen but not close enough. Writing Zeo in the last chapter was really fun. They know Masamhne tends to do that, but they weren't consciously expecting it because he had been going the same way about it for a while.

Yuu wouldn't make a big deal out of it but Masamune doesn't realize that because at this point, they don't consciously realize how much they mean to each other. I have been purposely avoiding Gingka asking Yuu about that, because... well, it'll be explained. Thanks!

**Lily.C:** Thanks for reading and appreciating! Writing this story is really so much fun! I tried to include those interactions, so i hope you like it.

**Guest: **XD

**Guest:** Honestly, yes! Masamune would totally exaggerate his stories and king would be expecting this really focused and experienced blader but he would meet a kid. I was one of those people who used to rag Beyblade over the lack of character development but now I've realized that the characters _have_ had a lot of that. Thanks!

**Chapter 14: Tag, We're It**

Gingka tossed and turned in his bed. You'd think that after such a long flight — Yuu had defeated Alexi pretty easily, and they had departed for Greece a couple of days later — he'd have been conked out a long time ago, but...

Masamune was snoring and Gingka had never found the sound more comforting. The scream from the battle still rang in his mind, sending chills down his spine.

Gingka pushed himself upright. He would never be able to sleep. Casting a glance at Masamune who was sleeping blissfully — thank literally everything — Gingka sighed getting up to leave the room. He turned the knob slowly, doing his best to make sure it didn't click.

"Gingky?"

Gingka yelped and turned. Yuu was watching him, twisting his fingers in what Gingka had come to realize was a nervous habit.

"Something wrong?"

Yuu avoided his eyes, glancing at literally everything around them before finally settling to stare at the floor. "I... Uh, I had a nightmare."

Gingka opened his mouth to say something, but closed it when he couldn't find anything to say.

Shit, he'd forgotten about Yuu's problem. Between Masamune and Tsubasa's issues and Kotone's near panic attack during the Arabian battle, Yuu had seemed mostly okay. And...

Shit.

"Wanna talk about it or something?" Gingka said, guiding Yuu towards the couch even though there was no need for that.

He almost scoffed at himself. Great move. He completely forgot about it, and then, his big idea was to talk about it. But, he tried to reason with himself, talking about it helped. It helped with Kotone and Kenta, so maybe it could help with Yuu?

"Okay before you panic or something, listen, " Yuu said, holding up a placating hand. Gingka gulped. Was it that bad? "I know why Libra doesn't ever come out."

Gingka blinked. "How come?"

Yuu wrang his fingers. "Because..." He took a deep breath, as if to calm himself.

A feeling of foreboding washed over Gingka. This was reminding him of when Yuu recounted his battle with Reiji, all those months ago when he ran away from the Dark Nebula.

"Because some freak scientists experimented on my constellation. I... I haven't felt Libra since."

Automatically, Gingka's hands went over to where his bey was normally attached. To have that bond taken away forcibly... Even the strongest bladers would give up after that. A constellation wasn't just a power up or even just a friend; the bond went far beyond that, far beyond words could even explain.

To have that taken away...

"I mean," Yuu continued, "Libra's _there_ but... it's not."

"I..." Gingka shook his head as Yuu finally turned to him. "I get it. Yuu, are you—?"

Yuu took in a shaky breath. "I think so. I didn't exactly realize it until a while ago. I guess I just never thought about it until Madoka asked." A shadow of a smile crossed his face. "Talking... Talking felt better. Thanks, Gingky." He was silent for a while. "Can you do me a favor? Don't tell the others about it. I want to tell them myself, when I'm ready."

Gingka opened his mouth, but then closed it and nodded. Yuu had decided to open up to him about it. Yuu trusted him _that_ much.

"Sure."

Gingka rested a hand on Yuu's shoulder, and the kid smiled at him. Gingka had always liked and even admired Yuu's enthusiasm and optimism, but now, he was seeing it in a new light. That quality, it was superhuman.

o-o-o-o

"Whoa!"

"Beautiful!"

"I found my new screensaver."

Nevermind that every other thing they had seen so far had also been her new screensaver.

_Click._

Tsubasa sighed as Madoka and Kotone praised the ocean for its beauty. He couldn't really fault them though; the place _was_ beautiful. In a different situation, Tsubasa would have taken the time to admire Greece too, but they were there for something else, not sightseeing.

Well, they could have some time to enjoy. The World Championships were tiring, and Tsubasa knew from experience — not that he'd actually admit to it — that relaxation and recreation was important for better outcome. Given what had happened before Yuu's battle with Alexi — a normal battle in what seemed like forever — everyone on the team deserved some time off.

After the ocean, they needed to go somewhere else. But where?

He focused back on his city map, though he could still hear the girls. There was the— Wait.

Where were the other three? Gingka, Masamune and Yuu missing at the same time was nothing but trouble, really. Madoka was the only one he could trust to go off on her own. Kotone had a bad track record of staying focused even on missions let alone anything else, and the less said about the other three, the better.

If they found a way to get in trouble _again_—

"It's just an ocean, you two," Gingka commented.

"Yeah," Masamune said. "How are you not tired of looking at it?"

"I'm sick of ruined buildings," Yuu added, whining.

Well, nevermind then.

Tsubasa turned to Kotone, and as expected, she spun around with a scowl. "Put a sock in it!" She raised her fist threateningly, and Tsubasa couldn't help but roll his eyes. There was hardly any need for that.

"You guys just don't get it," Madoka said and then sighed. "Well, I can't say I didn't expect that, but..."

"It's just an ocean," Masamune said. "What's there to get about that?"

"Now, if it was battle, I'd understand," Gingka said.

"Hey, I know! Let's battle!" Yuu said, bouncing on his toes even at the mention of a battle.

So much for a break.

Kotone's face was turning red with every word they spoke, and Tsubasa shot her a disapproving look. _"There's no need to be aggressive. Dial it down, and behave."_

Catching the message, Kotone scowled and pointed at the oblivious trio indignantly. _"Tell that to them," _her posture seemed to say. Or it could be something else; probably something involving swear words. Tsubasa was still learning how to read her reactions.

Still, he glared back pointedly. She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it and nodded begrudgingly.

Tsubasa blinked. That was one of her mature moments, he supposed. Or as mature as you could get with Kotone. After all, she was in an adult's position, but she was also thirteen. Not nearly old enough to actually _be_ an adult, especially not how Kotone held the past and her childhood so firmly.

"Well," he said. He could _feel_ everyone's head snapping towards him, even without looking. "We should get to the arena. That's why we came here."

Gingka's eyes actually glittered. "Yeah! The Festival of Warriors!"

Yuu's bouncing got even worse. "It'll be so cool to be a part of that! We'll be _warriors_!"

Kotone rolled her eyes, though they did have a competitive glint. She was obviously trying not to show her excitement, if her tense posture and tightly clenched fists were any indication. Tsubasa tried not to frown at that, but it still came to the surface.

"...guy from before," Masamune was saying.

Tsubasa almost shook his head. Almost. Zoning out was never a good thing, especially for an agent. He may be "on break", but he couldn't let himself become complacent. Getting back into habit would be hell if he did.

"Julian Konzern, huh?" Gingka muttered.

"We can't just worry about him," Tsubasa said.

All of them, sans Kotone, jumped a little. He turned to the said redhead, who was looking at the rest with an expression that clearly suggested that she was enjoying their reactions. A little hypocritical, given how _she_ had been during the Dark Nebula assignment.

He'd have to bring up not being a huge hypocrite with her again sometime. But for now, he said, "Who are their other members?"

Kotone blinked and seemed to think about it. "Well, from France, there's Sophie, and from England, there's Wales."

Masamune snorted. "Wales? Like the country?"

Kotone rolled her eyes as if she wouldn't have found it funny herself at a different time. Actually, she _did_ find it funny, if the way her mouth twitched was any indication. "Yeah," she said, her voice half amused and half scolding. "Anyway, those two are the other regular members, a tag team widely known as "Konzern's Twin Jewels"."

"Tag team, huh?" Madoka said, one hand on her hip. "How good are they in single battles?"

"Freakishly good," Kotone said. "They are on Konzern's level in skill _at least_, but so far they've only done tag battles in the tournament. They both have Cetus beys, but I don't remember a thing about those."

Tsubasa raised an eyebrow. "You don't?"

Kotone tensed a little and glared. "Hey, we can't _all_ be Madoka!" she said through gritted teeth.

"Calm down, I was just asking."

Kotone actually did calm down a little and somehow _still_ managed to bristle angrily, the ahoge at the top of her head still moving around. That confirmed it; her child-adult complex had struck again.

There was that thing about Kotone. Sometimes, she was afraid of acting too much like an adult but too much like a child or even a teenager at the same time. Other times, she was perfectly at ease with her age; or rather, she had too much on her mind to think worry about whether to act her age or her experience.

She wanted to be treated like both, and that was something he _still_ didn't understand about her. He knew where it came from, but he had no idea how to deal with it.

"Their sub member," Kotone said, "is called Klaus. He's, like, _insanely_ strong. None of his opponents have stood a chance against him, not even in the World Championships!"

Gingka whistled. Huh, Tsubasa hadn't known he _could_ whistle.

Kotone looked at Gingka with a smile — again, half amused, half... too _many_ things for it to be something other than strained. _Re_strained, actually — and said, "Yeah, I know the feeling."

Masamune groaned loudly. "What's with those guys being so damn OP?!"

Kotone shook her head in a way akin to a mourning person. "Me when I watch Naruto."

"Focus, you two," Yuu said in an irritated tone, stomping his foot for good measure. "How do we counter them?"

Gingka shrugged. "We'll figure it out once we see them at the festival."

Madoka and Kotone shared a look before sighing. Then, as if she just had an idea, Madoka grinned. "The Festival of Warriors doesn't begin until this afternoon. So, how about we look at the ocean some more?"

Masamune, Gingka and Yuu groaned in tandem, but Kotone grinned, suddenly much more open with her feelings.

"And we can go shopping after that!"

o-o-o-o

"Ugh! This is so boring!"

Tsubasa barely gave Yuu a glance as they walked through the mall. In front of the four of them, Madoka and Kotone stopped to observe some clothes on display before heading inside. Gingka followed them, but Masamune and Yuu stopped outside the shop next to him, talking about something or other.

Tsubasa narrowed his eyes at the ground. The girl on the beach was a blader, and undoubtedly good at it. One couldn't pull a stunt like the she had without some skill. And the way her bey had taken to the ocean... Kotone had mentioned that Excalibur's Sophie used a Cetus bey; those were generally water-based. And she hadn't given her name either.

Was it possible that they had just met another one of Excalibur's members? And if it came to that, which one of them could be a good opponent for her? They had to factor in the next round, for one thing. And while he hadn't seen that girl battle, he could tell that she was level-headed and actually _thought_.

The fact that _that_ surprised him more than anything said a lot about the people he hung out with.

Masamune was the worst when it came to battling level-headed people; he got way too irritated to even come up with the outline of a plan let alone an actual one. Gingka would be a good choice, but he should go against Konzern. Gingka was the only one of them who knew how to battle a reverse rotating bey. Yuu _might_ be a good option, but if he found the battle to be subpar — though it probably wouldn't come to that — he would start projecting the Masamune syndrome.

And then there was Tsubasa. He... might be able to match her psyche and thought process, but he didn't know enough about her to judge anything at the moment. And he also had to factor in his _condition_.

Tsubasa grimaced. After what happened in his battle with Chi Yun and Masamune's battle with Lera, they probably shouldn't take any chances. Then again, Masamune _had_ been getting better; it was amazing what some rest, relaxation and no stress could do.

There was also the matter of tag—

"Hey! Tsubasa!"

He tried not to jump, but probably failed. He turned to face Masamune and Yuu, both watching him with worried looks.

"Are you okay?" Masamune asked. "You were staring at the ground and being all freaky about it too."

Yuu opened his mouth to say something, but at that precise moment, Gingka, Madoka and Kotone came out, both redheads holding a couple of shopping bags.

Kotone grinned at them, actually looking like a child without trying to suppress it. Good, even if it was temporary. Kotone deserved the time to actually be a child, even if the damage had already been done by now.

Glancing between them, Kotone lost her smile. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but Madoka didn't seem to notice it. Probably enjoying the time to actually be a girl for once. Kotone had said something similar once.

_"I'm still a freaking girl and all that shit, you know. It's good to have a reminder once in a while."_

Gingka raised an eyebrow at him, and Tsubasa shook his head. Gingka didn't look convinced at all, but before he could say anything, Madoka spoke up.

"Hey, maybe we should check out that shop next."

Kotone glanced at Tsubasa, and then said an unconvincing, "Yeah, sure." She looked around for a while, and then said, "Hey, Madoka, how about you and Gingka—" Gingka sighed behind her— "check out that shop, and Yuu and I can take a look at that toy store?"

The mention of toys cheered Yuu up, at least. "Yeah! Come on!"

"Don't run in the mall, Yuu!" Madoka called after him.

Kotone shook her head, her expression almost... fond. It was hard to imagine that type of a response from her sometimes, what with how much she _tried_ to hide and how many things annoyed her. "I'll keep him in line."

Madoka rolled her eyes. "That's promising."

The fond look faded, and Kotone once again came at her default half angry, half joking state. With a pout, she said, "Hey!"

In his peripheral vision, Masamune's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he watched Kotone.

Madoka laughed, and, as if realizing just now that it was joke, Kotone's anger died down a little.

"Kotone." She turned to him. "You're on a budget for this."

Kotone scowled and opened her mouth to retort, but then that peculiar thing flashed in her eyes again and she stopped herself. "Fine."

Without another word, she spun around and stomped towards the store. Gingka watched her with a raised eyebrow, but before he could do or say anything, Madoka dragged him to their designated shop.

"Well, that was weird," Masamune commented, eyes still on the toy store.

Tsubasa gave him a side glance. Did he want a response?

Didn't look like it.

But then, Masamune sighed and said, "This is so _boring_. Do they even _need_ all this stuff?"

Tsubasa closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a headache coming. Masamune really didn't get it. It wasn't about the things, at least, not entirely. "People need time to be themselves."

Masamune opened his mouth and then closed it. His confused look didn't change even as he thought about it.

Tsubasa sighed. "Think of it this way. If, for whatever reason, you couldn't battle for a while, wouldn't you get excited over it?"

Nevermind that Masamune was excited no matter what. Or at least outspoken.

Understanding finally flashed in Masamune's eyes and he nodded. "Yeah, okay." He seemed to think about something. "So, what's up with Kotone?"

Tsubasa raised an eyebrow at the question. Kotone's behavior was weird from a third person's perspective, but normal for her. She always acted like that; outspoken but conflicted. Then again, it was entirely possible that Masamune had missed it before or chalked it up to her mood.

"What do you mean? She always acts like this."

Masamune tilted his head just a little. "She does? I mean, her mood _does_ keep doing one-eighties, but—"

"It's never just her mood." Masamune blinked at that. "Kotone acts like a child and an adult at the same time because that's who she is. A child _and_ an adult." Tsubasa crossed his arms. "In an effort to be both, she doesn't allow herself to be either."

Masamune opened his mouth and then closed it. For a while, he was silent before finally saying, "How come? I mean, does she _have_ to be both?"

"Kotone thinks she does. She's in a complex position; she has been for the past two years. As an agent, one can't be a child, not in the traditional sense of the word, but Kotone wasn't ready to let go of that. She still isn't. Because she clings to her childhood so much, she can't fully become an adult either."

Masamune frowned. "And that's what you guys you guys need to be."

Tsubasa nodded. "There's a reason the WBBA doesn't have many agents her age. In fact, she's the only one. She graduated from the training academy faster than anyone ever has, but that's working against her too because—"

"Because she's too young to be the person she needs to be?"

Tsubasa looked at Masamune. When the latter actually thought about something, he was really smart about it. If he had a little more focus and restraint, he could be a good agent too, almost as good as Kotone.

He nodded. "Yeah. If she had spent more time in the academy, she probably would have come to terms with it. But by completing the training meant for six years in the span of one—"

"Whoa," Masamune interjected, eye wide.

"—she never had the time to mentally prepare herself. She moved too fast, and she needs to cope with that. Being the youngest official agent in the whole facility and being underestimated because of it doesn't help either. In our line of work, you're _expected_ to be an adult and to be fine with that, no ifs or buts."

Masamune's eyebrows furrowed. "So, she grew up early."

"More than that, being an agent seems to have reinforced the idea that she can't be a child. But that's what she is at heart, and she's forcing herself to change. I think she's scared of being them both, so she won't let herself be either."

The more he talked, the more it made sense to him. Kotone wouldn't let herself act like a child or teenager because she was expected and required to be an adult. She wouldn't let herself be an adult because deep down, she _wanted_ to be a child. Both were clashing parts of her, and Kotone didn't know how to deal with it.

But how could they help her with that?

Masamune was silent after that. Then, he said in a low voice, "You all know a lot about each other, huh?"

Tsubasa looked at him. Masamune was staring at the floor, his hands clenched at his sides — most likely without him even realizing it.

He shrugged. "Not necessarily. There's a lot we _don't_ know about each other as well."

Masamune didn't say anything, not until everyone came back — Kotone with not only a bag of toys but also an entire shopping bag of sweets — and Yuu complained about being hungry.

o-o-o-o

"You gotta be kidding me!"

Tsubasa merely sighed and glanced at his teammates. Yuu had that childishly stubborn look on his face, the one that always meant that Yuu just refused to listen. Masamune had his mouth open in what would have been a comical expression, had Tsubasa not known what would follow.

"This stinks! You mean we came all the way here for nothing?!"

Gingka had the look of a sad puppy.

Madoka sighed. "It's their tradition, and we should respect that."

"But—"

Yuu was cut off by Kotone, whose face was almost as red as her hair. "I take that as a challenge! I'm going in there whether they like it or not!"

She marched towards the door, but Tsubasa held her back from the neck of her jacket. "Calm down, Kotone. Storming in there won't change anything."

Kotone swiveled to face him, ice blue eyes swimming with fury. "And standing around here won't either!"

"We can't be a part of the festival," Tsubasa said and paused to make sure it sank in. "That's not the end of the world."

"But still!" Gingka cut in.

"Tsubasa, _please_."

Yuu tugged on Tsubasa arm pleadingly. It reminded Tsubasa of all the times Yuu would beg him for an ice cream or candy. And Tsubasa would give in because Yuu's puppy dog eyes were irresistible, but he would always make it seem like he was tired of Yuu's begging because he was not going to give Yuu any ideas, and—

"No," he said, purposely looking away. He was not going to let them cause an international incident because of something like that.

Kotone seemed to have picked up on it though, because suddenly, she was tugging on Madoka's arm. "Come on, Madoka. _Please_?"

He hated to admit it but... Well played. Madoka was always the one who ended up calling the shots. Besides, she would most likely give in to Kotone's begging. It always seemed like Madoka saw Kotone as a little sister or something.

He knew for a fact that to Kotone, Madoka was definitely a mother figure. Not that Madoka had much competition in that area.

Madoka sighed, and Tsubasa already knew where it was going. Yuu seemed to know too, for he let go of Tsubasa arm and grinned.

"Oh, fine," Madoka said. Four faces lit up at that, but Madoka held up a reprimanding hand. "_But_ this better not end up with an international incident or something."

Masamune groaned. "It was one time, guys! _One. Time_."

Everyone except Madoka gave him dry looks, but the brunette just continued speaking.

"If _any_ of you end up destroying something—"

Kotone rolled her eyes. "Tell that to Masamune."

"_One_. Time," Masamune repeated through gritted teeth. "Stop making such a big deal out of it."

Yuu looked at him incredulously. "You destroyed the _Great Wall of China_! How can we not make a big deal out of it?!"

Gingka sighed before turning to Madoka. "Madoka, we _promise_ we won't do anything like that. Right guys?"

He looked towards the other three, who looked at him blankly. Gingka looked at them with a pleading expression. Kotone, Masamune and Yuu shared exasperated looks.

Then, Yuu sighed and said, "Fine, we promise."

"Yeah, we won't do anything," Kotone said. Her nonchalant tone and the way she folded her hands behind her head weren't very promising.

"Not on purpose," Masamune added.

Madoka looked at them all sternly and they all sweated under her stare. Tsubasa could almost see his academy instructor in her place, giving his entire degree a_ "You better listen, or else"_ look. Then, Madoka sighed. "Alright then."

It really was the best they were going to get from them. Not that that was very promising.

"If something happens because of you guys," Tsubasa said, "you're all grounded."

o-o-o-o

They were all _so_ grounded.

Not only had they snuck into a traditional ceremony, but they also got caught within minutes because Gingka got fired up on seeing the battles and pushed Masamune who grabbed Yuu who grabbed Madoka and so on. And if that wasn't enough, Kotone had turned everyone against them by challenging them all to a battle.

Needless to say, Gingka, Masamune and Yuu joined her.

"Just so you know," Madoka said as she and Tsubasa watched Kotone total her opponent. "I expected this."

"Yeah, me too."

It was actually going pretty well. Despite his breakdown in his previous battle, Masamune was back to normal. The four of them, it seemed, were having a competition of who could win a battle the fastest, if the speed with which they were winning each battle was any indication.

Things were actually going good.

That should have been the first indication that something was going to go wrong.

"Joke's over," Wales finally said. "I'll be your opponent."

Gingka ran towards the stadium Wales was standing in front of, pulling Kotone out of the way so that he could get there first.

"Hey!" Kotone shouted indignantly. "What the fu— What the hell, Gingka?"

At least she could censor herself around Yuu. The kid was already enough of a demon without Kotone corrupting him.

"You cannot be allowed to smear mud on this Festival of Warriors," Sophie said, stepping next to Wales. "I will battle as well."

Immediately, Kotone brightened and rushed next to Gingka. "A team battle then!"

Masamune scowled at the cousins. "Hey! How come only you guys get to battle?"

Yuu stomped his foot on the ground. "Yeah! I wanna battle too!"

Masamune turned to Wales and Sophie, who were watching the exchange with curious expressions. "Bring out one more! We can take you all on!"

Wales looked at him condescendingly. "One more?"

Sophie opened her mouth to say something, but another voice cut her off. "Then I will be your opponent."

Tsubasa froze before turning towards the source of the voice. Atop the staircase behind Sophie and Wales stood a smirking Julian Konzern.

Tsubasa felt himself tense. He could tell that the others were no different. It still wasn't enough to make Masamune take back what he said, but the fact that even Masamune looked wary spoke volumes.

Konzern stopped next to his teammates, smirking at Tsubasa's. "What do you say, Gingka?" The three who weren't Gingka rolled their eyes. Tsubasa could understand the sentiment. "Are you ready to take us on?"

In a true Gingka fashion, the redhead grinned. "I am so ready to take you on, but are you ready for us?"

As the battle started, Yuu made his way towards Tsubasa and Madoka, pouting. Madoka patted Yuu on the head sarcastically, and Yuu swatted her hand away with a glare.

Meanwhile, the EU team's beys came to a stop, the two Cetus spinning in front of Destroyer. Tsubasa eyes narrowed. Those two were acting like Konzern's shield. How good they were at it remained to be seen.

On their side, Masamune and Gingka looked at Kotone from the corners of their eyes. Between the three of them, Kotone was literally the only one who actually know how to make a plan, and strategy _was_ extremely important in a team battle.

"So, what do we do?" Masamune asked.

Kotone's eyes narrowed as she observed Excalibur's formation. Striker, Pegasus and Wolf had stopped in front of their opponents. "The Cetus are defense types, if I remember correctly."

She murmured things to herself for a while, and from the way Masamune was fidgeting, it was obvious that he just wanted to do something.

"Damn it, if you're not gonna come up with a plan, then I'll do it!"

"Masamune, wait!" Gingka said as Striker shot forward.

Kotone, however, held up a hand. "No, wait." Gingka turned to her in confusion, but she wasn't done talking. "Masamune, get away the moment I tell you to."

"Fine, whatever."

Striker collided with Wales' Blue Cetus. The two struggled against each other for just a short moment before Striker was thrown back.

Masamune gasped as Striker landed backwards.

"Fuck, they're good," Kotone muttered, her forehead creasing.

Tsubasa would let her get away with that. For now.

"Now what?" Masamune asked.

"I'm thinking!" Kotone snapped at him.

"Well, think faster!"

"Why don't _you_ take over since you're obviously Einstein?!"

"First good idea you've had since this battle started!"

They were inches away from each others faces now, both yelling at the top of their voices. Next to them, Gingka held a hand against his ear.

"You gotta be kidding me," Yuu muttered.

Tsubasa facepalmed. Going by the look on her face, Madoka seemed like she would have done it too if she hadn't been holding her laptop.

"Focus, you two," Gingka said, thankfully bringing their attention back to the battle.

"Masamune, attack the blue one. Gingka, follow but wait for my signal," Kotone said. Her expression was completely focused now and her voice full of command.

"Whoa, talk about transformation," Madoka said.

"Yeah, no kidding," Yuu said.

Kotone muttered something to Masamune, to which he nodded. Tsubasa narrowed his eyes at the exchange.

Striker and Wolf shot forward with Pegasus trailing behind slowly and uncertainly.

"Give it up," Sophie said.

Kotone only smirked in response. Yup, she had a plan alright, and it would either work or backfire spectacularly. When Kotone had that look, it was usually the latter.

Just when Wolf and Striker were inches away from Cetus, Kotone spoke up. "Special move! Celestial Wolf!"

What was she—?

Of course!

"Eternal Blizzard!"

Wolf's ice blue Fusion Wheel glowed for a moment as it came to a halt, before a blizzard circled around the bey like a white ring. The blizzard expanded suddenly, hiding everything from sight.

Tsubasa shielded his eyes. The move had become much stronger since he'd last seen it.

A swishing sound reached his ears which clearly meant that Striker had just disappeared.

"Now's our chance! Pegasus!"

Pegasus's blue glow stood out in the hazy blizzard. The glow expanded and the blizzard faded out of existence. Tsubasa immediately turned to the field, and—

He was truly sorry for all the times he'd underestimated his teammates.

With Wolf creating that diversion right in White Cetus' face and Pegasus keeping Blue Cetus occupied, there was nothing stopping Striker from attacking Destroyer. Striker was using a hit-and-run strategy, effective for not giving up its position in the blizzard, and even the fleeting attacks were causing a lot of damage, if the way Destroyer kept being pushed back with each hit was any indication.

But then...

"What the...?" Wales muttered loud enough for Tsubasa to catch it.

"How did they...? Weren't they fighting each other just now?" Sophie asked no one in particular.

"Clever, having Striker attack Destroyer instead of Pegasus," Madoka said.

"How come?" Yuu asked.

"When it comes to raw power and focusing that power," Tsubasa said, "Striker wins one over Pegasus. Both are attack types, granted, but Masamune knows how to best utilize _all_ of Striker's power. That's how he won against Chao Xin in the first round. Striker is able to attack hard and fast. Plus, Pegasus's speed is useful in keeping both Cetus away, in case one of them tries to interfere."

"But...?" Tsubasa turned to Yuu, who gave him an unimpressed look. "Don't give me that look. I know there's a but in there."

Tsubasa sighed. "The plan is momentary. Eternal Blizzard isn't a move Kotone can keep up for very long. Unless she has a backup plan, they're in trouble."

"And knowing Kotone, it's entirely possible that she didn't think of it," Madoka said. "Or she thought it would last long enough."

"Impressive," Konzern said. "But it's time to put an end to this."

Tsubasa turned back to the battle, where Striker, Pegasus and Wolf had made their way to the other side.

Wales and Sophie nodded to Konzern before turning back, expressions completely serious.

"Whirl, Grand Cetus!" Sophie said. "Grand Maelstrom!"

A white glow surrounded White Cetus like a dome before morphing into a whirlpool.

"What the fuck?" Kotone said. "How did she conjure up a freaking _whirlpool_ in the middle of the stadium?"

"Says the one who literally just created a blizzard!" Masamune shot back.

"Oh, shut up!"

"Cetus! Grand Victoire!"

A white whale emerged from within the whirlpool.

"Cetus! Grand Fleet!"

A blue whale joined the white one, equal in its size.

"Joint special move!" Both Wales and Sophie said at the same time. "Cetus! Grand Deucalion!"

Both Cetus dived back inside at the same time, and water rose to the surface, creating a tidal wave that advanced towards Tsubasa's teammates. The three gaped at it, speechless until Kotone found her voice.

"What the _fuck_?!"

"Seconded," Masamune said.

"Thirded," Gingka said.

Tsubasa could agree with that. Because really, what the _fuck_?!

"And you know the best part?" Wales said with a smirk. "There's no escape for you."

Tsubasa didn't need to even look to know that Gingka was gritting his teeth. "Who wants to escape?"

"Not me, that's for sure," Masamune said as Striker shot forward towards the wave. He turned to Kotone, who was chewing on her lower lip with a pensive expression. Masamune raised an eyebrow at her. "You okay?"

Kotone's head snapped towards him, all worry gone from her face. "Of course I am!"

Masamune rolled his eyes. "Sure." His expression became serious. "Think you could freeze that?"

Faster than lightning, Kotone's eyes were once again swimming with uncertainty. "Probably. Maybe. I don't know!"

"Good enough for me," Masamune said. "Use your special move now."

Kotone stared at him for a moment as though searching for something. Masamune stared back, resolute in whatever he was thinking.

Then finally, Kotone sighed. "Fine. This better work."

Once again, Eternal Blizzard cloaked the battle from sight. Tsubasa's eyes narrowed. The move was useful at times like this, but did it really have the power to freeze a tidal wave?

"Gingka, you owe us big time," he heard Masamune say. "Striker! Lightning Sword Flash!"

Striker, surrounded by purple lightning, was dimly visible in the blizzard as it moved towards the tidal wave. Maybe it was Tsubasa's honed vision or maybe the blizzard wasn't that evasive; he couldn't be sure which one it was. Given his past encounters with the move, he was more inclined towards the former. Last time, eve he hadn't been able to see through it.

Kotone had intended for it to be an attack, but the its specialty lay in evasiveness. Kotone usually didn't realize that, but at least she hadn't forgotten in this battle.

"Pegasus! Follow Striker!"

The blizzard cleared and—

"Huh?" Wales said. All three of the EU members widened their eyes.

"Whoa," Yuu breathed.

Tsubasa regretted all the times he ragged Masamune on his apparent lack of intelligence.

The tidal wave was frozen. Okay, _frozen_ might be a stretch, but there was a thick layer of frost keeping it still, but the water inside was still moving, which would have made an impressive display if it wasn't the middle of a battle. Striker's special move was steadily cutting a path between the wave, ice shards and water droplets being thrown aside as it did, and Pegasus was following that path.

As with all of Masamune's plans though, it was risky. There was no guarantee of how long Eternal Blizzard would last, and if those three didn't get out in time, they were done for.

Pegasus emerged from the end of the wave, spreading its wings and showering the stadium in water drops and ice shards. It advanced towards Destroyer which stood tall in all its glory.

Tsubasa's fists clenched as Pegasus advanced. They actually had a chance.

But then Destroyer's sword met Pegasus, and as if obeying Destroyer's command, the two tidal waves broke free of their restraints and drowned Striker and Wolf, Pegasus joining them once Destroyer struck it down. Destroyer glared at the three bladers over the vortex.

The whirlpool cleared as Destroyer faded, revealing three completely motionless beys.

o-o-o-o

Tsubasa crossed his arms as he watched his four troublesome teammates. "Go ahead, say it."

Kotone rolled her eyes, crossing her own arms. "This is revenge for what happened after you escaped the Dark Nebula, isn't it?"

"Obviously. Now, say it."

Kotone rolled her eyes again. "Fine. We got in over our heads."

There was silence for a while.

"And?" Madoka prompted.

Masamune sighed, not even trying to hide his annoyance. "And we should have listened to you."

Tsubasa and Madoka glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes. "And?"

Yuu groaned. "And we won't do it again."

"And?"

Tsubasa and Madoka focused on Gingka, who sweated under the combined weight of their stares. "And..." he trailed off, thinking. "Next time you say something's off limits, we won't argue?"

Kotone and Masamune simultaneously turned to towards him at a neck-breaking speed.

"What the heck, Gingka?!" Masamune said.

"Why the fu— Why did you say _that_?"

Gingka gave them an annoyed look. "Hey, I'm just trying to get out trouble!"

Kotone opened her mouth to retort, but Tsubasa cut her off. "Kotone, you're also in trouble for your language."

Kotone's head snapped towards him. "Screw off, Tsubasa!"

Tsubasa gritted his teeth. Only Kotone could test his patience like that.

However, before he could say or do anything, Madoka took over. "Kotone, you're grounded."

"I thought we _all_ were grounded," Yuu said as he and the other two watched the argument as if it were an entertaining TV show.

Madoka rolled her eyes. "Well, Kotone's double grounded."

"But Madoka—!" Madoka held up her hand and Kotone fell quiet. The redhead gritted her teeth and said, "Fine."

Masamune laughed. "Wow, you're in so much trouble."

Kotone swiveled to face him. "Oh, shut up, Mr. I'll-Just-Destroy-The-Great-Wall-Of-China!"

Masamune scowled. "One. Freaking. _Time_!"

Kotone stomped her foot on the ground. "I don't care!"

Masamune rolled his eyes. "You're such a hypocrite, you know that? You act like you're an adult, but you're more of a kid than anyone here."

Tsubasa froze. Did he just—?

"Masamune, shut up!" Gingka said, eyes flashing dangerously.

As if just realizing what he said, Masamune blinked and his face paled.

Meanwhile, Kotone fell silent. She was trying to hide it, but her hands were shaking. She gritted her teeth as her fists clenched at her sides.

After a painfully long silence, Kotone finally said, "Fuck you." Her voice was low and eerily quiet.

She stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"What the hell, Masamune?!" Gingka said, glaring at the said teen.

"Why did you say _that_?" Madoka said.

"Shit," Masamune muttered, and that was the only thing stopping Tsubasa from saying anything. "Shit. That's... That's not what I..."

"You better apologize," Yuu said.

Masamune nodded. "Yeah. I know."

o-o-o-o

When Masamune found Kotone, he had expected her to shout at him or maybe even throw something at him. He hadn't expected her to be _crying_, of all things.

A part of his mind said that it wasn't entirely his fault since Kotone in particular had been bugging him about the Great Wall for _ages_, but another part reminded him that it wasn't a sensitive issue for him, and he even kind of enjoyed bantering with Kotone. And Gingka and Yuu too.

The moment he'd said it, Masamune knew he had messed up big time. It was the same as someone taunting him over leaving America or Toby becoming sick or letting his friends down by not contacting them in so long. They were all true, but he would not like being taunted over that.

"Kotone?"

She took in a few shaky breaths and finally turned to him with a scowl. Masamune tried to ignore how red her eyes were. "What do _you_ want?"

Masamune ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Kotone watched him for a painful moment, as though searching for something. Looking at her tear-stained face was hard, but Masamune forced himself to not look away.

Finally, she nodded, and Masamune sighed in relief. "Say something like that again, and I'll fucking shoot you." She looked away for a while, before facing him with an apologetic look. "And..." She swallowed, as if it physically hurt to say it. "I'll _try_ to cut you some slack for the Great Wall thing."

Masamune opened his mouth and then closed it. He smiled a little. "I'd like that."

Kotone shook her head with a small smile of her own. "Anyway, I contacted the American branch of the WBBA. You grew up in New York, right?"

Masamune nodded.

"There's no person named Reiko in New York."

Masamune frowned. "Maybe you should check the record from five years ago."

Shit. Why did he say that?

Kotone watched him with her_ "I know you're hiding something. I'll find out and when I do, you'll be sorry"_ look, and Masamune tried not to fidget. It always seemed like Kotone was trying to figure out the best way to permanently break him when she used that look.

Fortunately, Kotone sighed and looked away. "Fine, I'll take a look. You sure you don't want to tell the others?"

Masamune nodded. He had thought it over a lot. "Yeah. I'll tell them when it actually makes any sense."

o-o-o-o

**This chapter turned out much different than what I had intended, but I'm satisfied. Also, my school is reopening, so the updates might get rarer, but I'll try.**


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